Endgame
by Ryua Malfoy
Summary: The Triforce has always been given to three beings who best exemplify their traits, and the way these three interact has been played out time and again. They are drawn to each other, and bound in ways they cannot see or understand. Despite this divine source of strength, however, all three are only mortal, with mortal weakness, and desires. Intended for adult readers only.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: It has been brought to my attention that I should post a warning about the content of this story. There will be violence, there will be sexual situations, and there will be times when the two of these combine. This story is not intended for a younger audience, the rating is there for a reason._

Outside the barrier, Zelda watched on in horror. She had no art that could pierce Ganondorf's enchantments, meaning that the two of them were on their own. It wasn't that she didn't have confidence in Link, the young man had clearly proven his abilities, many times over, and his courage of course, was beyond reproach. The problem was that someone as honorable as Link could have no idea of the depths Ganondorf could sink to in tormenting those under his power. And power he had in abundance.

Link was afraid. Of course he was, he was plenty afraid. Ganondorf had slaughtered Midna, and he was surprised at how vulnerable it made him feel. He'd gotten used to her wicked laughter, her reassuring presence whether she was hovering invisible at his side or perched protectively on his back. He was afraid for Zelda, outside the barrier with Epona. He knew she'd be focused on the battle, and he worried what could come at them from behind. He was afraid of what would happen if he lost, to Zelda, to his friends, to the rest of the world, to the Twilit denizens who were counting on him, and he wasn't even sure he could help them without Midna's help. But while he felt terror just as easily as any sane, sentient being, it never froze him, never weakened him. His courage drove him forwards, through the fear, making him fight at his best when the stakes were highest and the odds the lowest.

And facing off against Dark Lord Ganondorf was the literal embodiment of what he was best at. His foe was three times his size, had twice his reach, was fully armored from top to bottom, and had already survived what should have been a mortal wound without any apparent weakening or pain; the perfect embodiment of raw, dark power. And regardless of all of those reasons Ganondorf should win, Link fought on anyways. While his armor was no more than a chainmail tunic, he trusted his shield to block anything he put it in the way of, knew his sword could parry any blow without fear of damage. And for all of Ganondorf's overwhelming power... Link was _much_ faster.

The Dark Lord snarled as Link dodged right under another crushing blow, darting in to slice across his thigh where the armor didn't quite cover, then dove out of the way of the retaliating backhand blow. Link could feel the wind from the missed strike whip past his ear, and then he was out of range again, rolling to his feet, sword raised and ready for another strike. The only problem was that he'd already inflicted a dozen such blows, and nothing seemed to faze him. And while his spirits were still up, he knew eventually he'd slow down too much, and those deadly, Triforce-enhanced blows would take their toll rather quickly.

Just as he thought it, Ganondorf lunged forwards with a vicious overhand strike, and Link brought his sword up to parry. The sheer weight of his opponent bent him backwards, the metal of their swords shrieking as Link pressed him back, every muscle straining with the effort. More through sheer stubbornness than anything else, he forced Ganondorf's sword back and leapt forwards to strike while he was unbalanced. Unfortunately, he twisted even as Link's sword descended, and the strike glanced off his shoulder plate, scoring the paint but doing little else. His heavy left gauntlet slammed into Link's side, sending him flying to the side. Link hit the ground hard, the Master Sword skittering off through the dirt, the breath knocked out of him as he landed on his shield's edge. He heard the whistle of the Sword of Sages slicing down through the air towards him and he rolled, barely bringing his shield up in time.

A spasm of pain lanced through his right shoulder, his arm collapsing and the shield digging into his thigh. He twisted to the side, the sword sliding down off his shield, carving a gouge through the engraved Triforce before digging deep into the ground. Still fighting for breath, Link rolled away, scrabbling after his sword. He barely got it into his hand before Ganondorf's foot caught him in the back, sending him sprawling.

He determinedly kept a grip on his sword this time, flipping over determinedly and batting the next blow to the side, leaping up to his feet and forcing a good, deep breath into his lungs. His leg hurt from the bruise his own shield had left, and the shield itself was sagging lower than he'd like, his shoulder aching like he'd pulled something with that last, off balance block. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he didn't at all like the predatory, pleased sneer on Ganondorf's face as he strode forwards. He must be showing the pain more than he thought.

Ganondorf didn't let up, driving him harder than ever now that he sensed weakness in his opponent. Link was constantly on the defensive now, parrying, relying less and less on his shield as it pulled at his shoulder. Finally, summoning a burst of speed, he lunged forwards, sword grazing up along Ganondorf's cheek. He let out a bellow, more of rage than pain, and stumbled backwards, free hand coming up to his cheek, glaring down at him.

Link took the few moments it bought him to unstrap his shield, dropping it with a groan of relief to the dust, working his right arm. He was more vulnerable without it, but at least he could move properly again. He darted forward, determined and fast, sending Ganondorf back on the defensive. Dark red blood streaked surprisingly bright on the dark green skin, and the Dark Lord attacked back, made more vicious by the slice.

Neither Zelda or Epona made a sound, not wanting to distract him, although the horse shifted uneasily under Zelda's tight grip on her reins. Watching Link's triumphant first blood filled her with hope, but her spirits plummeted moments later as the Hylian shield dropped to the ground, its proud crest riven through with sword damage. Seeing it there filled her with dread she couldn't properly understand, dread unalleviated by Link's renewed energy.

Their swords clanged echoingly across the open moor, the sound distorted and amplified strangely by the magical barrier surrounding the battlefield. Link's attacks were coming quickly, almost a tinge of desperation in his movements. Without the shield, Ganondorf's larger sword, greater power, and greater weight would be a much greater advantage, so Link would have to finish the fight quickly, before his greater speed started to lag again, since he'd now be effectively defenseless against the crushingly powerful blows if they ever landed.

Despite the desperateness of the situation, the aching in his leg and shoulder, he couldn't help but admire the beauty, the mechanics of the fight. They were excellently matched, each strike like a pre-planned, rehearsed dance, or maybe a line in an epic legendary poem. It was exhilarating, and terrifying, and ultimately satisfying. This fight was what it had all come down to, what everything had been leading up to. Ganondorf's sword slid down the length of his, the metal screeching up until they locked at the hilt, and he was surprised to feel a smile on his face, countering the ferocious snarl on his foe's. Sheer adrenaline let him twist and fling the Dark Lord back, bounding forwards to finish the fight.

At least that was the idea. Somehow, Ganondorf's long, elegant blade had moved impossibly high, and instead of leaping over it, Link found himself vaulting right for the point. He twisted desperately, flinging his left arm back, pulling his body to the side. Instead of plunging right through his body, the sword raked from his shoulder down, tearing through his tunic and belts, skittering down the chainmail underneath. He hit the ground rolling, feeling his scabbard fall off behind him, and he pushed himself up again, ignoring the new, fresh flares of pain along his chest and side.

Link took a deep breath and winced, taking a shallower one the next time. Although he didn't think he had any broken ribs, he was willing to bet that he was already bruising purple. While losing the shield had almost been a relief, losing his belts and scabbard was oddly disconcerting. The straps were a constant, reassuring pressure, and having them gone was disquieting, not to mention the fact that his potion bottles had smashed when he'd landed on them.

Perhaps Ganondorf could smell the blood from where a shard of glass had wormed its way through his chainmail, or maybe he could sense his increased pain and tiredness some other way. Or perhaps he was just getting bored of the back-and-forth and just wanted to win. Either way, Link backpedalled desperately as Ganondorf's wickedly powerful blows rained down on him, deflecting on occasion and mostly just trying to dodge.

Abruptly, he felt the strange not-heat of the barrier at his back and he stumbled, raising the Master Sword to catch yet another blow from the side. He was too off-balance to keep a proper grip, and Ganondorf's blade twisted against his, ripping the sword from his hand. Link looked up, eyes wide, pressing back against the barrier, then stood up straight, ignoring every ache, every tearing pain. He glared right into his enemy's eyes unflinchingly, even as he watched the blade come down in his peripheral vision.


	2. Chapter 2

Zelda urged Epona nervously around the outside of the barrier, trying to get around to the other side so she could see what was going on. She'd seen the terrible fall Link had taken, barely managing to avoid being stabbed clean through, but then Ganondorf's massive figure and swirling cape had blocked her vision as he drove Link backwards.

Epona snorted and minced as she trotted around the outside of the wall. The magic made her restless, as did the sounds of combat, Zelda's nervousness, the sounds of her usual rider in a fight she couldn't get closer to. Just as they got to an angle they could both see from, Link tripped up against the wall.

It seemed to be slow motion as she saw the sloppy block, the gleam of the Master Sword flying, sliding across the ground in a cloud of dirt and dust. Time slowed almost to a halt as the Sword of Sages lifted up, glowing with a sinister light, but then moved horrifyingly fast, the white blade slashing down in a blur nearly too fast to see.

She screamed as Link fell limply to the ground, Epona giving a piercing whinny under her. The horse reared, forcing her to grab hard to the saddle and mane and ignore everything for a moment except for staying astride. When Epona's forehooves finally dropped back down to the ground, Zelda shifted back properly into the saddle and looked up to see the barrier gone, and Ganondorf turning towards her, Link sprawled in a pathetic sprawl behind him. Most of her arrows had been expended already, but she reached for her last one, drawing and sending it forwards. His sword was already moving, snapping her arrow out of midair as he strode slowly towards her.

The moor that had seemed deserted was suddenly crawling, dark, formless shapes that made her neck prickle if she tried to look at them. Even on Epona, she didn't like their chances of making it through them. Ganondorf had just finished a battle. Despite the Triforce of Power feeding him, he had to be feeling some of Link's attacks. Although she wasn't sure what happened to the rapier Ganondorf had wielded through her, the Master Sword was barely ten feet away in the dirt, she was mounted on a powerful warhorse, and her opponent was feeling arrogant and cocky. Her skills at hand to hand combant were a fraction of Link's or Ganondorf's, but as her only other option was to retreat into the throng of darkness, she had to take the chance. He would never be this vulnerable again.

By the time the pieces of her shattered arrow hit the ground, Zelda's deliberations were through. She spurred Epona forwards, and the mare responded with a piercing whinny, charging forwards. Zelda hung low to the side, reaching out to pick up the sword. Maybe it was sheer luck, maybe it was sensing her affiliation to the Light, but the hilt smacked solidly into her palm and she wrenched herself back upright, just in time to raise the blade and deflect Ganondorf's first sweeping strike.

The tip of his blade just scored Epona's rump, and she whinnied, turning on her haunches and lashing out with her hooves. Zelda clung desperately to her mane with one hand, keeping a firm hold on the Master Sword, knowing she was helpless without it. He bellowed as one of Epona's hooves struck solidly on his shoulder, a deep, muffled clang as the plate dented, a second strike tearing off the gilt edging all along the left side.

Zelda swung her sword forwards as Epona dropped down to all four hooves, using her extra momentum to increase the power of her blow. It struck home just under the edge of his damaged plate, and Ganondorf's roar intensified as blood spattered from the wound. She recoiled, yanking the sword free before it could get stuck, and yanked Epona's reins, turning her to the side just as Ganondorf's sword swung forwards. It didn't quite strike home, but Zelda found herself abruptly sliding sideways as his blade sliced along Epona's ribs, cutting right through the saddle girth.

She twisted as she fell, thowing her sword arm out so she didn't land on her own blade. Above her, Epona whinnied shrilly with rage, and more clanging ensued as she hammered on her tormenter. Zelda scrambled backwards, vowing to trade in the long skirts for trousers next time she had a chance. A few seconds later Epona let out a horrible scream, and Zelda looked up, trying desperately to roll free as the horse toppled down beside her.

She was just able to yank her feet away as Epona fell to the ground, still shifting patheticly, trying to rise despite the gaping wound in her chest. Ganondorf strode forwards, the pristine whiteness of his blade marred for the first time by the horse's blood. Zelda glanced down just long enough to wrench at her bloodsoaked skirts, the fabric tearing and pulling free from under the dying mare.

Some instinct prompted her to raise her sword before trying to rise, and she was knocked almost prone by the force of the blow. Holding her skirts up with her free hand, Zelda scrambled forward, under Ganondorf's sword, standing up and whirling to face him, breathing heavily. "You're a more worthy opponent than I thought," he mused, taking in her appearance, filthy with blood and dirt, Triforce of Wisdom blazing on her hand almost defiantly. Rather than attack her again, he stepped back, raising a hand.

She'd seen him do this with Link earlier, but was completely unprepared for how hard the ball of dark energy hit. She barely managed to strike it back at him, and it bounced back far more quickly than she'd have liked. It took both of her hands on the hilt to hit it away this time, and she overextended, too off-balance to spin back and deflect the attack a third time. It hit her side in a dark, painful, suffocating blast, knocking her back almost to where the barrier had been before. She lay panting for breath, unable to convince her body to move, feeling the sword hilt drop from her fingers.

Involuntarily, her head dropped to the side, surprised to realize she'd missed landing on Link by a matter of a few feet. She could hear Ganondorf's heavy footfalls as he strode forwards, her vision starting to darken as her body gave up on fighting the pain and loss and exhaustion. Just as her eyes dropped inexorably closed, she focused in on Link's face, slack and pale, but bleeding from a cut above a terrible looking bruise above his forehead. A surge of hope rose inside her, but it was too little to keep herself awake. She was faintly aware of Ganondorf's massive hand on her shoulder, rolling her to her back, and then tumbled fully into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the kind reviews. It makes an incredible difference to my day. For those of you who aren't signed in, please know that I treasure everything you say, even if I have no way to respond._

Zelda felt herself starting to wake up, and her first feeling was surprise. A few moments later, she had enough mental cohesiveness to wonder why she was surprised, and an indeterminate amount of time after that, she remembered it was because she'd thought she was about to die.

With that thought, everything came rushing back at once, her mind awakening fully. Her body, while clearly alive, was tired and aching, and resisted the initial impulse to leap up defensively. Seconds later she realized this was a good thing, and kept her breathing even and slow as she tried to decipher where she was without opening her eyes.

There was only the faintest sound of wind, and the air was still; she was inside. Moreover, she was warm, and comfortable. She was… in a bed? Yes, a bed, not as soft as the one in her royal suite, but a well-stuffed straw mattress, with a good sheet and heavy quilt, what felt like a feather pillow under her head. Focusing in on the smells, she was surprised at the familiarity of it, clean stone, faint wood smoke and food, hints of a garden outside. Unexpected, however, was the nearby scent of someone in the room with her.

She could hear a soft breathing as well, coming from just behind her, and now that she was focusing on it, could feel a faint warmth of someone else in the bed. Fighting down the initial feeling of revulsion, panic about who it was likely to be, she took another, deeper breath to relax herself. She was surprised to pick up the very faint hint of dog in the scent, and realized to an incredible feeling of relief that it had to be Link behind her, not Ganondorf.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Sure enough, she was in a tower chamber of the Hylian Castle, maybe even the same one Lord Zant had kept her captive in. It was small enough for her to see at a glance that there was no one else present, and she rolled over gingerly, every muscle protesting the movement. That spell of Ganondorf's had hit far harder than she'd realized, if she was still aching like this. Magic rarely affected her for long.

After what seemed like an hour, she eased herself over, feeling better for being able to move. Even better was the new knowledge that although the gore-soaked overskirts were gone, she was still wearing her white under-dress. Link was beside her in the bed, the purple bruise and scabbed cut on his forehead telling her that it had been about two days since the battle. His skin was still paler than she'd like, especially against the vividness of his injuries, but he was breathing easily at least, and seemed to be reacting to her movement.

His eyes started to flicker as if he were trying to open them, his breathing quickening. In case he leapt awake and injured either himself or her before he realized what was going on, she laid her hand on his cheek, saying in a low voice, "It's alright. We're alive, and safe for the moment."

Link jumped slightly, but relaxed again almost immediately. "What…" he broke off, clearing his throat gingerly, a hand going to his chest reflexively as the cough pained him. "What happened?"

"I believe we've been taken prisoner," she said, pushing herself to a sitting position. It felt better to be upright, less vulnerable and more active. "This is a room in the Hylian Castle, in the most isolated tower. A good place to keep prisoners that you plan to use for something important."

"I don't intend to remain a prisoner," Link replied, a hint of a growl in his tone as he pushed himself up. She glanced over at him and winced at the sight of his chest, a vivid mottled line of bruising from Ganondorf's sword. Glancing lower, she saw the clean slice on his hip from one of his own bottles, and frowned, thinking. He noticed her expression and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Zelda shook her head, then pushed her loose hair back behind her ears with annoyance. "I don't appreciate being tended to without my knowledge," she said, gesturing down at the slice, and the one on his forehead. "We've both been cleaned up."

"And stripped down," he agreed, "Not that sleeping while caked in blood is pleasant, but… all my weapons are gone, even my eating knife." While he still had trousers, he apparently hadn't been allowed to keep boots or tunic, although since he was injured and in bed, that could arguably be for a sensible reason rather than nefarious. "Any more information?"

She shrugged. "Depends what you want to know. I know no more about our current situation than you do, although I've been held captive in a tower room before. As to how we got here… I failed to take Ganondorf down after he defeated you, and I assume we've become trophies…" her voice trailed off, finding it almost impossible to fight down the feeling of rising panic. This was not where she'd wanted to be, ever again.

"Like I said, we won't be staying here," Link said firmly, laying a light hand on her shoulder. She jumped, then laid her fingers across the back of his. "If Ganondorf's really taken us prisoner, then he's going to come and gloat about it sooner or later. When he does, we'll just overpower him and escape."

It took a moment, but Zelda turned and looked at him, not quite laughing incredulously. "And how do you expect to do that? This room is set up for holding prisoners, there aren't exactly weapons lying around."

"We'll think of something," he said, looking around. There were very few fixtures, aside from the bed too heavy to move. The walls were bare, and if it wasn't daylight, they would be in total darkness without even a candle or torch. An open door led to a small lavatory, but even the basin and pot were flimsy, clearly designed to break if hit with any great force. The bed sheet though, could possibly be used as a distraction at least… or maybe a rope. "How high up are we? Can we climb down?"

Just in case it really was that simple, Zelda looked up at said window, recognized the faint magical glow, then sighed. "It's spelled. And so is the fireplace. While I might be able to break the enchantment at my best, I'm far from that right now. I've never really been in combat before… martial magic is not my strong suit, either casting or defending, and I'm still drained."

"You did say you'd failed to beat him," he said curiously. There was no censure in his voice, he'd after all failed before she had. "Did the sages' arrows stop working?"

She shook her head. "I ran out of them, and had to improvise. I'm not very good with a sword, I'm afraid. Epona did more... oh, Link, I'm so sorry. He killed Epona. She was brilliant, so strong and brave…"

"Epona?" Link echoed quietly. "No…" He'd thought seeing Midna's lifeless body was bad enough pain, but his loyal, faithful horse… It was as if the news had triggered something, all that pent up emotion he'd been keeping back, ignoring so he could fight the battles that needed fighting. Something tickled his cheek, and he was surprised when his questing fingers came away wet. He just stared at them numbly, wondering why his chest felt so tight, why his throat was constricted, making him gasp for air.

Without a second thought, Zelda reached for him, shifting across the bed so she was kneeling right next to him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him against her shoulder. "I know… I'm so sorry, Link… you've been so brave, and you've given so much…"

"All for nothing," he replied bitterly, his voice barely a whisper, trailing off to silence as his lips formed the names of those they'd lost. He leaned helplessly against her, finding comfort in her long, silky hair, breathing in the faint smell of flowers and clean woman.

"No," she said firmly, arms squeezing around him. "Not for nothing. We're still alive, Hyrule is still whole. Our parts in this aren't done yet, or we'd have been killed already. Don't give up on me yet, Link. We're not done yet, but I can't do this alone. I can't… I can't face him alone."

Link didn't realize at first that she was clinging to him just as desperately as he was to her. In another time, another place, he wouldn't dare touch the Princess like this, wouldn't share this closeness with anyone, let alone the rightful monarch of their state. But she'd seen him at his most vulnerably inhuman, she'd saved Midna's life selflessly at the expense of her own life's energy, she'd fought at his side against hopeless odds. And right now, they were stuck in this awful situation together, had no one else to turn to. "Don't worry. I'm here with you," he whispered, squeezing her arms reassuringly and sitting back up again. "Now, let's make a plan," he said determinedly, forcing a good, deep breath into his lungs, past the gasping pain and loss. "He's not going to control either of us without a fight."

Before either of them could plan any further, something stopped them, a sense that wasn't properly earing or touch or smell, but they both knew beyond a doubt that Ganondorf was approaching. Later, when they had time, Zelda would hypothesize that it was resonance from the Triforce, but now Link set a finger to her lips, cautioning her to silence. He rolled out of bed, not quite stumbling. Although he was stiff, long warrior training had his body moving through the pain and injuries anyway. He yanked the sheet from the bed, wrapping an end around each arm and creeping to the hinge side of the door.

To serve as a distraction, Zelda stood up, a bit unsteady on her feet, but fear and hope giving her strength. She started towards the door, but it opened before she was three steps from the bed. Ganondorf filled the doorframe, looking almost unnaturally huge. He had always appeared large on the battlefield, but somehow, framed in familiar framework, it was emphasized. She swallowed, glaring up at him. "How dare you keep me captive in my own castle?" she snapped, pleased at how level her voice remained, although she kept her hands flat against her sides so the trembling wouldn't show. Behind him, she could see Link creeping to the side. If he left now, while he was focused on her, he might have a chance at escape.

"Your castle?" he chuckled, his deep voice rich with amusement. Despite her mental urgings, Link crept towards Ganondorf, not away, and leapt at him, the sheet wrapping around his neck. "My dear Zelda, you are here…" he started, choked off by the sudden pressure. Link had actually climbed onto his back, pulling back as hard as he could, face straining with the effort.

Zelda rushed forwards, wrapping her arms around Ganondorf's hand as he raised it to pull Link off of him, dragging it back down. His Triforce burned against her chest, but she clung hard anyways, desperate to keep him occupied until Link managed to strangle him. He fell to his knees with a crash, bringing Zelda's feet back to the ground, forcing her to her knees as she kept a stubborn grip on his arm. She could hear Link panting with the effort of keeping his improvised weapon tight, the faint gurgles as Ganondorf struggled against them.

Without warning, his Triforce flared, the raw energy painful against her chest, and a blow came out of nowhere. His left hand had caught her square on the side of the head, crushing the sensitive ear and knocking her senseless. She looked up, only dimly aware that her arms had loosened and he'd pulled free, seeing him rise to his feet, reaching onto his back. Ironically, if he'd been wearing full armor, he might not have been flexible enough to reach Link. As it was, his massive hand wrapped around Link's arm and wrenched him off, holding him dangling above the ground.

With a quick breath and an angry bellow, Ganondorf slammed his other fist into Link's chest with a sickening snap, sending him flying backwards. He hit the floor and slid up against the wall, coughing feebly, bringing blood to his lips. "As I was saying," Ganondorf continued, his face returning to its normal colour, his voice raspier than before. "You are here as my guests. If you would rather be housed in a dungeon, that can be arranged. This country is mine, now, as the hero who slew the Twilight overlord and brought peace back to the realm. I have won, and I hold all the power. If you plan to survive in my world, you had best think of the ways you can best serve me." He spun and stalked out, his cloak flaring behind him. The door slammed shut, a latch was thrown, a bar was set, and the not-quite-sound of a warding spell was cast over the doorframe.

Zelda groaned softly, cupping a hand to the side of her head. The entire length of her ear felt like it was on fire, and her cheek ached terribly, but at least she couldn't taste any blood. Gingerly, she pushed herself to hands and knees, uttering a small prayer of relief as the room stayed steady before her eyes. No concussion then, just bruising. Gathering her skirts in one hand, she crawled the short distance to where Link lay sprawled on the floor, trying his best not to breathe too deeply.

She helped him up to a sitting position, despite his pained gasps and the faint whimper as he settled in place, leaning against the wall. "Well, if you didn't have broken ribs before, you certainly do now." She said, her cool hands gentle over his chest, outlining the new, broader bruise just starting to rise into view around the old one. "Hold still a while." She closed her eyes, calling upon the dregs of magical energy that had started to trickle back.

Magical casting drew directly on the user's strength, although she and Ganondorf had an advantage over many mages in the Triforce, replenishing their energy more quickly as well as enhancing their spells. While Ganondorf's magical forte was in raw powerful bursts, causing pain and destruction and oppression, hers was much more subtle, the weaving and unweaving of enchantments, strengthening those around her. Her best strengths lay in the healing arts, and luckily it didn't take much energy to encourage his body to heal, the bones to knit and some of the swelling to die down. She continued until she felt the beginnings of the awful draining of her own life, then stopped, unwilling to risk killing herself and leaving him alone. She opened her eyes, noticing with disgust that now the room was spinning from weakness instead of a concussion. "We… need a better plan," she said tiredly, and fell forwards, feeling Link's arms catch her before she lost all awareness.


	4. Excuse me, Princess

At some point in the future, Zelda came awake, feeling the light pressure of a hand on her shoulder. She shifted, and the hand withdrew, Link shifting on the bed behind him. "Are you alright? You've been unconscious for hours."

She opened her eyes to almost total darkness. There was just enough light coming from the starlight outside and the warding spell on the window for her to see the barest outlines of things. Link was sitting beside her, his posture looking as if he wanted to lean over her but didn't want to scare her. His features were gilded faintly silver in the starlight, not enough to see his expression. "I'm fine," she said, licking dry lips and rubbing at her forehead. She had a faint headache from overuse of magic, but it was already fading. "I didn't want to leave you that badly damaged."

"That was incredible, by the way," he said. "I mean, I've been healed by potions and fairies before, but… that was something else. It was so gentle I didn't realize what you were doing at first. All of a sudden I could breathe again and you were falling over." He was more talkative at night… probably because she couldn't see his expressive face.

"I didn't realize I'd used that much energy," she said ruefully. "I meant to stop before I passed out… was there any water in that basin?"

"Yes," Link said, getting out of bed carefully so he didn't jostle her. If there had been anywhere else in the room to sit, anything else to occupy himself, she might have taken exception to him continuing to stay in the bed with her. But really, the room was small, unfurnished, and boring… what else was he supposed to do but nap?

When he came back with a small goblet of water and what smelled like a slice of bread with cheese, she sighed happily, taking a judicious sip of the water and starting in on the food. It wasn't the freshest bread or the sharpest cheese, but it filled her belly and made her feel almost immediately better. "A servant came by just before nightfall with some food and water, and emptied the pot. I suppose I've been in worse prisons," Link said.

"I wonder how long the good treatment will last?" she mused, drinking the last of her water after offering Link a sip. "Especially since a dungeon stay was threatened."

"We'll find out soon enough," he said, taking the goblet away, from the sounds of it, setting it by the door. "Did you find any weaknesses in this place when you were held here before?"

They talked for about an hour, judging by the movement of the stars, about possible escapes, plans, speculations on what they were being held for, questions about each other's abilities. Partway through a discussion of Zelda trying to use magic to shift Link's form back to a wolf so he'd have natural weapons to use in a fight, her headache returned, necessitating another rest. She admonished Link to rest as well, since they'd both probably need all the rest they could get, and he still had a lot of healing to do.

Sunlight woke them next, and a soft sound of a door opening. Link put a protective hand on Zelda's shoulder, but relaxed as the person was revealed to be a maid, quiet and efficient. A momentary thought of trying to rush past her was discounted with the view of several armed and armoured guards outside of the door. While she looked a few times at the two captives, she refused to speak to them, just depositing another cup of water on the ground by door along with a pair of small apples and another hunk of cheese.

Since her attempts to engage the maid in conversation hadn't done anything useful, Zelda stood up, going to pick up the meagre breakfast. "Must be under orders not to speak to us," she said, handing Link his share, glaring at him when he tried to give her extra food.

"But at least they're still feeding us," he said, taking a bite of the fruit. It wasn't the worst of the kitchen scraps either… nothing fancy, but the kind of meal any average Hylian might start their day with. This was the strangest place he'd ever been held captive. It felt like they were staying in an oddly restrictive inn rather than a prison.

"Which begs the question why we're in such a situation," Zelda sighed, sipping the water. "I'm not sure I like his speech about us being his guests…"

"He might have political use for you," Link said, although he looked faintly uncomfortable talking about it. "You know, if you… if he… " His complete inability to continue the sentence said it all.

"Goddess, I hope not," she said with a shudder. "I have no wish to become that man's consort. He has… just… no. No." He was a brutal lover, uncaring of his partner, pushing her past her endurance, past every defense she tried to raise against him. It had been almost a relief when he finally invaded her body and mind for the last time, using her as a puppet against Link and Midna.

Although Link didn't know anything of what he'd done to her while holding her spirit and body captive, he could guess from the way she withdrew, her arms wrapping about her waist. "I won't let him touch you," he said firmly, sounding almost brash in his reassurance.

She smiled wanly at him. "You're sweet. But I doubt you'll have any say in the matter. And with luck, it won't come up." Not that she believed it.

"I mean it. We're going to get through this, alright?" he said, reaching out to grab her hand. She squeezed his fingers softly, and nodded, busying herself with the last of her breakfast as she composed herself.

By the time Ganondorf arrived at their room, she was calm and ready to face him again, reassured by Link's presence beside her. They were both standing, not liking any of the implications of sitting on a bed while speaking to him. He appeared to be suffering no ill effects from their previous encounter today, looking as tall and imposing as ever, even out of his armor. Instead, he had rich black clothing, patterned with bronze-tinted embroidery and tailored closely so show off his warrior's strength. His hands were conspicuously bare to show the Triforce marking him as a chosen of the Goddess. His forehead was bare now and hair more simply arranged, and the only jewelry he wore anchored his cape to his shoulders. Intimately familiar with the careful way those in power cultivated their appearance, Zelda had grudging respect for the image he presented, one of a noble, powerful, born-to-be leader, but one who wished peace, and didn't flaunt his wealth while the country lay in war-torn shambles.

"I see you've both breakfasted. I hope you're comfortable," he said, his tone pleasant but his expression leering as he looked at them.

"What do you want from us?" Zelda asked, ignoring the insincere pleasantries.

"And here I'd expected the former regent of Hyrule to be diplomatic," he said dryly. "Very well, right to the point. I have several things I wish from you. First, and of most interest to you, I'm sure, is that I would like your assistance stabilizing the kingdom."

Ganondorf smiled at the looks of disbelief on both of their faces. "I can see you don't believe me. It's true… I could do this without your help. I could bring in the Gerudo bandit tribes, I could force the Twilit to do my bidding, and take over the kingdom by force, subjugating your people as second class citizens or slaves. But I'm sure you would rather peace, wouldn't you, Zelda?"

She shuddered inwardly at the overly familiar use of her name. "Obviously," she said. "And how exactly do you plan for us to… assist you?"

"Speaking in support of my regime. Becoming advisors, or perhaps a general would be more suited to your skills," he said, glancing to Link. "I know well that the Hylian people think highly of both of you. And while showing mercy and keeping you alive despite your stalwart attempts to kill me has won me some credibility among the masses… think how much more stable my regime would be with your support."

Zelda was silent for a while, Link staying just as quiet beside her. This was her field of expertise, her kingdom to decide the fate of. After much deliberation, she simply said, "This cannot be your only request." It was too beneficial to her and Link, when it would be nearly as easy for him to take over by force. Even if he intended to force her into a political marriage, it was too good of a deal.

Ganondorf's smile widened. "You are right, of course. Although you really must stop thinking of them as requests… and more of requirements. I want you both to do as I say, when I say it, regardless of what I demand from you. If you do not… I will punish you. And do remember… as long as the country is recovering, unsure of its new government, people suffer, go hungry… fall prey to raids, chaos… it would be in your best interests to come to terms with your new circumstances as quickly as possible."

"I can hardly give public addresses garbed like this," Zelda said, clenching her teeth. She didn't expect her crown back, but a proper dress, the ribbons to braid her hair with… those kind of things were expected from rulers. Certainly, nobody would listen to a deposed queen in what amounted to undergarments.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That is true, you cannot. Of course… I can hardly trust you to be seen in public yet either. You'll both have to be far more used to obeying my commands before that day comes."

Link folded his arms. "And what commands do you have to give us right now, o powerful Lord of Hyrule?" he said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

He realized later that possibly he shouldn't have been quite so flippant. Ganondorf turned to face him directly, clearly pondering what the best course of action would be. It was only a matter of moments before that wicked smile spread across his face again. "Strip her," he said, nodding his head towards Zelda.

There was a moment of dead silence before both of them erupted in furious protest, Zelda shrieking in offended, terrified fury, Link embarrassed and protective. Ganondorf listened for a few seconds before raising his voice above both of theirs. "Then if you don't, I will!" he shouted, reaching half-heartedly for Zelda. She scrambled back from him franticly but hit the bed almost immediately, her screams dying off, her eyes enormous and vulnerable as she turned to Link.

He swallowed, shaking his head at her quietly pleading look. She glanced over her shoulder at Ganondorf, who was tapping his fingers together and watching her with undisguised hunger. Shuddering visibly now, she turned away from him, looking back to Link. "Please, Link… if it's a choice between your hands and his, there's no question which I'd prefer…" seeing his reluctance, she snapped, "Damn you Link, you promised!" Despite the anger of her tone, her eyes were still pleading with him, barely holding her fear and revulsion in check.

Ganondorf reached for her again, his hand closing on her arm while his fingers went for the ties on the back of her gown. She stifled a gasp, biting her lip as she stared imploringly at Link. Finally realizing that refusing to cooperate wasn't going to stop this from happening, he set his jaw, resolving to keep this as painless for her as possible. He stepped forwards, grabbing her shoulders protectively and drawing her away from Ganondorf, who let her go with an amused expression on his face.

Zelda drew in a shuddering sigh, relieved more than she really should be, considering the circumstances. Link's hands were infinitely careful and gentle with her, slowly unlacing the ties that ran from the back of her neck to the widest part of her hips. He positioned her so her back was facing Ganondorf, and she lowered her head to rest on his shoulder, her cheeks flushed red and unwilling to look at either of the men in the room. Link glowered at Ganondorf over her shoulder as he loosened the laces down past her shoulder blades, following the graceful curve of her back. He hated the wanton way he leered at her body, the way his eyes travelled down, following Link's hands. He slowed, hesitating briefly as he reached her waist.

It only took Ganondorf reaching his hand towards Zelda's waist for Link to hurriedly resume, not wanting to give him the excuse to take over. He felt his own cheeks flush as he slid his hands lower, over the subtly softer flesh below her waist, relieved when he reached the end of the lacing. At least he was relieved until he realized now he'd actually have to take it off. She straightened up, glancing at him and nodding ever so slightly before closing her eyes.

Link didn't know where to look. It felt awkward to look down at Zelda as his hands slid the soft white linen down off her shoulders, slipping first one sleeve off, than the other. It was almost as bad to stare at Ganondorf as he eased her dress down over her chest, immensely relived to feel a silky shift under his fingers instead of bare skin. Even at that, he jerked his hand away as though it was burned as his fingers brushed the soft, round curve of her breast, and he slid the rest of her dress down quickly before he could hesitate, kneeling on the ground in front of her, feeling her hands briefly on his shoulders as she stepped out of the garment. Not sure what to do with it, he laid it carefully on the bed, then looked back at Ganondorf, mouth tight with repressed fury and embarrassment.

"Keep going," he said softly, his golden eyes narrowed and a quiet, pleased smile on his lips. Link glowered at him, hating that soft, disturbingly intimate tone of voice. He lowered his head briefly, his forehead touching Zelda's, not sure if he was apologizing or reassuring, feeling the urge to say something but unable to think of a phrase that could possibly convey what he wanted to at this moment. His hands dropped down to her waist, gathering the short, silky material and sliding it gently up her body. His hands followed her curves automatically, and he felt her breath catch as he slid the shift up her stomach, over her chest, his knuckles brushing lightly over her breasts. She stood back, her eyes still closed, and raised her arms as he pulled it up over her head.

After glancing at her face to make sure she was alright, Link looked anywhere but at her, carefully folding the shift and laying it fussily on top of her dress, spending time. He was drawn back to the present by Ganondorf's soft voice encouraging him, "Look at her, Link."

He wanted to say that it was with great reluctance that he did, but he was male and she was beautiful, and she was standing right in front of him, needing him only to look down. She was standing straight, still facing him rather than Ganondorf, pink from below her neck up to the tips of her ears. Staring fixedly at a spot on the wall over Link's shoulder, she was standing as determinedly as if she was on the edge of a battlefield instead of naked in a glorified prison cell, her only display of discomfort being her teeth biting into her lower lip.

Link reached forwards almost unawares, infinitely glad that his hand went automatically to her shoulder instead of anywhere lower. Her eyes closed, and she said in a low, seething voice, "You got what you came for. Leave."

"Not… quite yet," Ganondorf said, his voice sounding so pleased with himself he was nearly purring. He stepped forwards and Link pulled Zelda right up against him, his arms wrapping around her back protectively. She leaned willingly into him, twisting her head around to watch Ganondorf's movement, but he was reaching past her instead of to her, picking up her clothing. He leaned down, not quite touching her, inhaling her scent with a pleased rumble before stepping back. He kept walking backwards, his amused, aroused gaze locked with Link's furious glare until the door closed and locked between them.

Zelda let out a shuddering breath and leaned forwards against Link, who now felt exceedingly awkward holding her, his bare chest feeling very conspicuous against her equally bare skin. It had been one thing while Ganondorf was there, and he could at least try to protect her. But now, alone in a locked room with nothing but a bed, he was acutely aware of her naked form pressed to his. Of course, the way her body shuddered, not quite sobbing, just a release of tension, helped to keep any impulses he had under check. He brought one hand firmly to the middle of her back, the other stroking her hair, making reassuring noises and keeping his hips just a little farther back than he had at first. Goddess, this was going to get difficult.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the lovely feedback. It makes an incredible difference to my day, and makes me far more eager to get the next installment out. For those of you looking for the more adult version of this chapter, the link is here (Remove the spaces): games. adultfanfiction. net ? no=600088365_

Link was starting to be amazed at how quickly Zelda seemed to be able to pull herself together, from a nervous wreck to being calm and in control of herself again. Her breathing slowly levelled out and most of the tension left her body. "You going to be alright now?" he asked, his hands shifting to her shoulders, looking carefully at her eyes, only her face.

She nodded, rubbing her face briskly. While she was still flushed, he couldn't spot any sign of tears, and her face was composed again, if not relaxed. In a businesslike manner, she pulled her hair forwards over her shoulders. Much to Link's relief, it was just long enough to cover her breasts, the lowest curve was still visible if he were to crane his neck to look. He carefully didn't, but it was a relief not to panic when he accidentally glanced lower than her shoulders. Keeping his gaze above the waist was much easier than above her neck.

Zelda bit her lip briefly in thought, then turned to the bed, prompting Link to tilt his head hurriedly up to the ceiling to avoid seeing anything he shouldn't. "You can look now…" she said a few moments later, her voice actually tinted with amusement. He turned back to see her with the heavy quilt wrapped over her shoulders and around her waist. It wasn't a very practical garment, of course, but it was better than nothing, and Link clearly couldn't offer her anything of his. She smiled up at him. "Thank you, for preserving my dignity." At his clearly incredulous look, she chuckled, then amended, "Well, as much of it as possible. That was very gallant of you, Link."

He could feel his own cheeks reddening now as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I froze like that…"

"Completely understandable," she said, setting one hand on his arm, the other holding her makeshift robe shut. "I'm sorry I snapped at you... I just couldn't stand the thought of it... of him..." she broke off with a shudder. "You know, I think I need to bathe. I'll be back in a while," she said, heading to the small room just off of the main one, closing the door behind her.

He could hardly blame her, he just hoped she'd be able to do what she needed to with the basin of tepid water and small cloth. He rather thought he'd need a full plunge in an icy river, or a long, long, scorching hot soak in the Goron hot springs to feel clean after what she'd just been through. Expecting her to be in there a while, Link took to wandering the room, studying it for any weaknesses, or at least for anything of interest.

As he'd expected, he'd made two full trips around the room and watched a new maid come in to drop off lunch by the time Zelda emerged. Her hair was damp at the ends and the skin he could see was pink from scrubbing, but she looked much more relaxed as Link turned from looking out the small window. She smiled openly when Link held up a meat roll and handful of berries, and came over to take her share of the food. After a bite, she sighed, "Now, _that's _better. All we need now is a good library and we could settle in for a pleasant afternoon."

Link stared at her for a moment, then laughed, surprised at how good it felt to laugh and what a relief it was that Zelda felt like telling a joke. Although there really wasn't much to occupy themselves with, the afternoon passed surprisingly well. They could see a surprising amount of the castle from their vantage point, and Zelda told him anything that came to mind about the different rooms and areas she could point out. Much of it had been destroyed by Midna and Ganon, but stone bricks could be reassembled, and the repairs were going quickly. He could almost forget the circumstances they were in, and was momentarily surprised when Zelda abruptly pulled away from the window and climbed onto the bed, flicking the quilt out and turning away from the door. He looked around to see what had startled her and saw the door creeping open for the delivery of their evening meal. Link picked up the flat breads with cold chicken slices and brought them over to the bed. She rolled over when she heard the door close, and looked up at Link. "Sorry… the rumors must be bad enough, and this would only make it worse." Being captives was damaging enough to public opinion, she didn't want them gossiping about her nakedness too.

Sitting up carefully against the wall, she pulled the quilt up with her and tucked her knees to her chest so Link could sit comfortably beside her without worrying about seeing anything he'd be embarrassed by. He sat down, passing her the food, feeling slightly awkward again. When they'd been looking out the window it had been easy to pretend she was wearing the blanket for warmth, but now, with her shoulders and arms bare…

It was too easy to remember the softness of her skin under his battle-worn fingers. And although he resolutely pushed the memories away, refusing to even think about how she'd looked, he still had to shift slightly away from her, looking steadily down at his food as he ate to get under control.

While she let him think he was sparing her feelings, that she hadn't noticed, Zelda had, of course. She'd seen the way he looked at her before, horrified at the circumstances but unable to help his body's enjoyment. And while he shifted ever-so-casually, she knew well what he was trying to hide. But he had his own pride as much as she had hers, and she was willing to let him believe he was sparing her dignity as well as his.

To change the subject, distract him as much as herself, she asked, "So, last night didn't you mention something about wrestling Gorons?" The question caught him so off guard that he turned to look at her in surprise, then grinned.

After managing to get a surprisingly lengthy anecdote out of him, they were both feeling more relaxed again. They managed to keep the conversation to light topics until the room was dark enough it was becoming hard to see. Zelda shifted so she was lying down against the wall again as they talked, and eventually Link lay beside her, right on the very edge, as far from accidentally touching her as he could get.

She made a sound that was almost a snort of laughter, and shifted on the bed, unwrapping herself from the quilt and tossing the end over him. "Relax, Link, it's too dark to see anything anyway, and I don't want you falling out of the bed in the middle of the night." He didn't answer her, but she did hear him shift to a more comfortable position after a moment, and the quilt shifted as he moved more properly under it. The room wasn't icy cold, but it was cool to sleep without any sort of covering… and he wasn't fully clothed either. "There, better? Goodnight," she said, reaching out to brush his shoulder. She felt his fingertips briefly touch hers, then he settled on his side to sleep.

There were hands on her, horribly familiar, too-large, not truly there hands. She was back in that awful, not-quite world, where her spirit had gotten trapped after losing her mortal body, and that burning, powerful mind snagged her and pulled her out. The touch of Ganondorf's magic was a unique, unpleasant sensation on her unguarded soul, making her feel filthy and violated before he even did more than anchor her spirit in place for her body to painstakingly reform. And then, once she was fixed in place and unable to move, her spirit still horribly weak from expending her life to save Midna, he began to play.

The worst of it was, she knew what he would do before he did it, because this had already happened. She expected the hands to form, and it was worse when they did, moving inexorably towards her spirit self. She felt the caress, more intimate, more violating than it would be on a physical body, worse because she had no body to pull away, no voice to protest, no hands to push his back. He imagined her body to be and so it was, and she was helpless to keep his mind, his body away from hers, his weight was oppressive, his magic overpowering. The invasion of her mind-body-spirit was just as horrifying as she knew it would be, as she remembered it being. She abruptly knew she was dreaming and it didn't help in the slightest, trapped in the dream as she had been in that awful not-life. She was struggling to scream, trying to push him away from the unbearable, filthy pain and intrusion… she could hear Ganondorf's rich, deep voice whispering her name over and over again as he violated her mind…

"Zelda!" Abruptly Link's voice cut through the nightmare, the feeling of his hands on her shoulders banishing the shadowy visions and feeling of Ganondorf's oppressive presence. She gasped, and reached blindly for him, sitting up and throwing her arms around his chest, her body wracked with sobs. After a moment, she felt Link shift slightly to a more comfortable position and he wrapped his own arms around her, pulling her gently against him. "What happened? You were screaming in your sleep…"

"It was… he was…" she started, stuttering over her own words. She took a deep breath and started over. "It was a nightmare. I was remembering being trapped by Ganondorf… when I was… after I healed Midna…" At least she devoutly hoped it was just a dream. Her skin was crawling with the memory, her mind still felt his slimy touch, and she wouldn't put it past him to have been using magic to play with her memories in her sleep.

"It's okay. It's done now, you're fine," he said, holding her, his chin resting on top of her head. "What did he do to you to make you scream like that?"

Zelda was silent for a while before answering. "I… it's a hard question to answer. I'm not entirely sure what exactly he did, so much of that time is vague. Time doesn't have the same meaning when you're out of your body… but he snared my mind out of the nether regions like a fish out of water, and I was so… so completely helpless…" she broke off again, just concentrating on breathing.

She felt his lips on her forehead, heard him murmur, "Don't worry, forget I asked. Just try and relax, calm down."

"I can't," she said firmly, trying to ignore the tremor in her voice. "Because he's going to do it again." She knew it as absolutely as she knew the sun would rise in the morning. "And I'm not going to be able to stop him any more this time than I was then," Her voice was bitter, but resigned.

"There's got to be something we can do… some way we can get out of here, stop him…" he said, his arms tightening protectively around her.

"You know there isn't just as well as I do," Zelda said flatly. However, if she couldn't prevent the inevitable, she could at least try and do it on her own terms. "Link…" she said softly. "I… I think I need to ask you to do something…"

"Anything," he said instantly, with the same determined courage that had served him well, but also gotten him into trouble.

She smiled slightly despite herself. "You really shouldn't be so quick to agree to everything. I need you to… would you… Goddess, how do I even phrase this… Link, you aren't still a virgin, are you?" She wasn't sure if she could ask him to do what she needed if he was. Nobody should have their first experience like this, in these awful, forced circumstances.

From the way he froze, she knew she'd taken him by surprise. Much to her relief, he replied a moment later with, "No, I'm not…" While she could hear the tinge of reluctance and embarrassment in his voice, she couldn't feel a lie in his words.

"Good." She said firmly. "Because if I'm going to become his… his plaything, I'm not going to go as some pristine, celibate maiden." Before Link could protest, or before she started imagining Ganondorf's haunting, hair-raising touch again, she shifted to her knees, turning to face him. Her hands slid up from his chest, resting lightly on his cheeks. It was too dark to see more than his vague outline, although the dim light from her Triforce showed her at least the barest hint of his nose, a trace of his hair, and then she was too close to see anything anyways, her lips pressing softly against his.

He froze again, too shocked even to breathe. After a moment she kissed him again, more firmly this time, and was relieved to feel his mouth responding to hers, if only briefly. He pulled away from her slightly, his hands on her shoulders. "Zelda… are you sure about this? I don't want…. You've been put in some awful situations, I don't want to take advantage…" His voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, but she could still hear the roughness in it, the desire.

"I'm completely sure," she said firmly, shifting a leg over his so she was kneeling across his lap. "I want you before he ever has a chance to touch me." While a good monarch couldn't afford to waste all her time dallying with people, she'd had a couple of pleasant, if mild, experiences before Ganondorf took her captive and expanded her horizons so brutally. She wanted to have something good to cling to, a positive, caring, thoroughly enjoyable experience to wipe the slate clean of the memories of her incarceration, and she was determined to get it. "Please, Link…"

Whether it was her words or the way she pressed her body against his, her lips brushing lightly over his ear, Link abruptly decided to stop questioning her. She gasped softly as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight to him. He tilted his head slightly, kissing her first on the lips, then the side of her mouth, her jaw, working his way down her neck. Her hand trailed slowly up his back, into his hair, encouraging him.

Link was relieved to feel her contented sigh, her fingers in his hair. It's true that this wasn't his first time… but it was only his second. The widowed innkeeper he'd chased some brigands off for, what seemed like years ago, had been so grateful she'd decided to keep his bed warm that night. While she'd been experienced enough to ensure he got a thorough grounding in what she liked, Link hadn't had the chance to try it with anyone else until now. Although… while the circumstances were hardly what he'd have liked, he couldn't imagine someone he'd rather touch. Everyone in Hyrule was at least half in love with the wildly popular head of state, and that was before he'd actually gotten to know her.

She could sense his slight hesitation, but also his growing enthusiasm. When his hand slipped around to cup her breast, she let out a soft moan, her fingers tugging on his hair slightly, her other hand running down his back. Apparently taking that as a good sign, his fingers started to slowly rub the soft flesh, stroking over her smooth skin.

He continued to explore her body with both hands and lips, growing bolder as she responded encouragingly. While Zelda enjoyed the soft, almost worshipful caresses, she was starting to grow impatient, wanting more from him, needing to chase away the nightmares. She kissed him thoroughly, her tongue brushing over his lips, teasing them apart.

Slowly, she eased him backwards to the bed, pulling away from the kiss, her hands running slowly down his chest. Link tried to reach for her, then his arms dropped back to the bed with a soft, incredulous curse as he felt her hands sliding his pants off, leaving him as bare as she was.

She was back on top of him then, kissing him again, her fingers caressing lightly over his length. He moaned with pleasure, amazed at how much better her hand felt than his own ever had. His own hands caressed down her luscious curves, over the smooth, perfect shape of her hips, pausing when he felt the slick folds of her entrance.

Zelda sensed his hesitation, and said in a soft, breathless voice, "_Yes, _ Link, right there…" Emboldened, he caressed over her core, his fingers exploring, rubbing, searching for what made her whimper with pleasure or exclaim with delight. He was fascinated enough to continue indefinitely, but she crawled forwards abruptly, guiding him into her with one hand as she sank onto his length.

Link let out a groan of pure animal pleasure, as Zelda sheathed him with a contented sigh. This is what she needed, she thought to herself as she started to move on him. This was chasing away the shadows, the fear. Although Link would have been content with her riding him until morning came, eventually she lay herself back, pulling him upright. As he carefully, gently slid into her, Zelda moaned with delight, her back arching, his hands holding her hips against his.

He was gentle with her, even as his thrusts sped up and his need grew. Zelda writhed with pleasure under him, and resisted his attempts to pull away from her body. "Fertility, or the lack of it… is just another aspect of healing, Link… I want you… I _need_ you inside me…" That was all the encouragement he needed, and he leaned over her with a moan of pure animal pleasure, burying his face against her neck, lips and teeth and tongue all pressing against her skin in a desperate kiss before he slumped against her, breathing heavily, exhausted with pleasure.

Eventually he stirred, kissing her neck softly, then shifting up enough to kiss her mouth, his lips less hungry now, but no less enjoyable for that fact. He slowly slid out of her with a groan, pulled her around so her head was on the pillow beside his, and curled up against her, one arm draped over her waist. She pressed happily back against him, having no doubts that she'd sleep well until morning now. Tomorrow would bring what it will, but tonight was hers, hers and Link's.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelda woke up feeling comfortable and happy, and was mildly surprised to feel so. After a moment, she recalled why, and a slow, contended smile spread across her face. She stretched happily, then paused, realizing that she couldn't feel Link at her back anymore. Opening her eyes, she sat up, finding him sitting at the edge of the bed as dressed as he could get, facing away.

He turned slightly when he heard her move, just enough to glance at her from the side briefly. "I'm sorry…" he said softly. "I took advantage of you, and I shouldn't have, you weren't in your right mind, you were upset, and I shouldn't have…"

She took advantage of his rambling to crawl forwards over the bed towards him, setting her fingers lightly on his lips to stop the flow of words. "I think you have things a little backwards, Link," she said, her tone amused. "I initiated last night, I took advantage of _your _good nature… and I thoroughly enjoyed myself."

Even after she let her hand drop away from his mouth, he stayed silent, seeming to not know exactly how he should be reacting to this. She smiled, and leaned forwards to kiss him lightly before climbing off the bed to go pick up the pair of boiled eggs and cold toast that was waiting for their breakfast just inside the door. "How long have you been sitting there, feeling guilty?" she asked with a smile, handing him some food.

"Ah… a while," he said, his cheeks pink, looking like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to look at her or not. He was familiar with her body at this point, of course, the memory of it still made his pulse quicken. Still, it was different to look at her now, his gaze tracing over the curves his fingers had last night. Abruptly he realized he'd forgotten to chew the bite of toast sitting in his mouth and coughed slightly, forcing his eyes away from her.

She laughed and sat beside him "The only regret I have, Link, is that this had to happen in these circumstances. You deserve some romance and sweetness, not this… forced…"

It was his turn to stop her, brushing his knuckles lightly against her cheek. "Right now, I have nothing to complain about." She smiled back at him, kissing his hand softly before going back to her food. Neither of them spoke further about what had happened the night before, or more importantly, why. It was bad enough to know in the back of one's mind that it was coming, worse to contemplate it. Conversation turned back to lighter matters, this time Zelda talking about the tower they were in.

A newer addition to the castle, it had been constructed as a watchtower, back during the war a century and a half ago with Holodrum to the far south. The small province of Ordona had cemented relations with Hyrule for protection against the invading force, and even today was a valued trading ally, boasting rich farmlands. The tower itself had multiple levels, each facing a different direction with the highest floor facing south. Originally outfitted with great metal disks and signal fires, they were used both as lookouts for the areas near to the castle, and as fire heights to send signals to the more distant outposts.

In later years, once peace fell, they had been converted to guest rooms because of the views, and the storage areas had now held cloth and leather instead of oil and arrows. And of course, most recently, Zant had converted the highest room into her prison, which is where they were now.

With an impeccable sense of timing, Ganondorf approached as she mentioned being imprisoned. Link stood, his hand on Zelda's arm, pulling her behind him. "Well, don't you both look energetic this fine morning," Ganondorf said. "Sleep well, Zelda? No nightmares, I hope?"

Damn him, he had been meddling with her mind. "None at all," Zelda lied calmly. "I slept quite comfortably, in fact." Although her voice was calm and level, she could feel her skin prickle, her cheeks flush ever so slightly at his familiarity, his taunting. Link's fingers tightened just a bit, reassuring on her arm.

"Then in that case…" Ganondorf started, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

"Not here." Zelda said firmly, stepping forwards, pulling free of Link's hand. Their captor raised a questioning eyebrow, and she repeated, "Not here. I'll come where you want, willingly, but you will not do this here."

Ganondorf looked at her for a long, quiet moment, his eyes only occasionally wandering down her body, mostly reading her steady, determined gaze. Finally, he inclined his head. "Very well," he said, extending a hand. Straightening her shoulders, Zelda stepped forwards, and Link finally realized what they were speaking about.

"No! Don't touch her!" he protested, reaching forwards to grab Zelda's arm again. "Don't go with him, don't… we'll figure something out…"

She turned to him, and smiled, the expression tight and controlled. "We both knew this was coming. Stay here, Link… I need you to be here for me when I get back." Her fingers laced into his, lifting his hand from her arm. "I will be fine, just… just be here."

Link was completely focused on her, or he would have noticed the intent, pleased way Ganondorf was watching the interaction. Slowly, reluctantly, he released his grip on her hand, although he couldn't quite bring himself to back away. She turned to Ganondorf who unhitched his cloak from his shoulders, draping it over her body. She nodded regally to him and strode to the door, ignoring the touch of his hand on the small of her back.

He looked after them helplessly, aching to do something, anything to help, but there was nothing to be done. The triumphant, knowing look on Ganondorf's face, looking back as he closed the door behind them focused his worry into rage, but the door was solid and impervious as he ran forwards, no latch on the inside to grab at. The sound of the bar falling into place was like a solid blow to his mind, and he staggered back, sitting on the bed and running his hands though his hair.

Time passed. He wasn't sure how much, couldn't focus on the shifting sunlight from the window. He paced the room, studying the brickwork of the walls, stood at the window, paced some more. There was nothing to do, no way to keep his mind occupied. His thoughts kept circling, over what it had been like with Zelda last night, trying not to think of Ganondorf's massive hands where his had been. How panicked Zelda had been after her nightmare, how brave she had been about going with him, stubbornly saving his innocence.

Because he knew he was innocent, now. He knew Ganondorf would be doing things to her that he could barely comprehend, the kind of things that would make her wake up screaming and crying in the night and she'd walked into it anyway with her head held high. As a warrior, he'd seen plenty of blood and death and terrifying things, he'd lost friends… but this was an aspect of cruelty he hadn't come across before, hadn't even realized it existed.

He sat down for a while, then stood up to pace again, driven by the need to do something, anything, even though there was nothing to do. He knew that Ganondorf would bring her back alive. He wouldn't miss out on the opportunity to watch them both squirm, but he had no idea when. How long could it take? For Zelda's sake, he hoped Ganondorf was one of those men who was quickly, easily satisfied.

Link swung around to face the door as he felt their approach, the bar lifting from the brackets and the door bouncing in suddenly. He reached out reflexively as Ganondorf pushed Zelda forwards. She stumbled, falling out of his cloak and into Link's arms, going limp against him. Before Link could say anything to him, Ganondorf withdrew, looking utterly pleased with himself, slamming the door shut behind him.

Zelda was trembling as she leaned against him, and he shifted his grip, one arm around her back, the other under her knees, and he picked her up, setting her on the bed. She made a faint, protesting sound and struggled slightly, and he whispered, "It's alright, it's me. I've got you now, you're safe." She slumped against him, and he thought she might have passed out.

Laying her on the bed, he realized her legs were wet, sticky. Glancing down, his vision swam for a moment, and he took a step back reflexively, looking at the smear of blood on his arm. It wasn't that he'd never seen blood before, just that he didn't like the implications of it. Deciding that no matter how much the sight of it bothered him, it would be far worse for her when she woke back up, he went into the lavatory, bringing back the basin and cloth.

He wiped his own arm clean first, so he wouldn't be smudging it across her any more than it already was. Gently, worried of hurting her more or waking her up, he started to bathe her, starting with her face first while the cloth was still clean. There was a shadow on one cheek, and she flinched when he touched it, and more across her arms and neck, many of the bruises matching his overly large handprint. Link found his hands trembling slightly as he rinsed the cloth and kept wiping down, cleaning smears of dried fluid from her stomach and legs, trying not to think about what he was cleaning off.

Not wanting to risk waking her up in a panic, he cleaned up around her thighs as unobtrusively as possible, trying not to look at the slippery, blood smeared mess on the cloth. He rinsed it out again, slipping the cloth gingerly between her thighs to mop up the worst of it. Even if he wasn't worried about causing her pain, he didn't think he could touch her any more intimately while she was insensible. It would feel wrong, and she didn't need any more violating today. He pulled the quilt up to her shoulders and returned the basin to the lavatory, and then paused, unsure what to do. His instinct was to hold her tight, try to shield her, but considering that she'd probably had quite enough of being held, he settled for sitting beside the bed.

He drifted off at some point, still upset, but at least resting more easily now that she was back. A light touch in his hair brought him awake, and he looked up to see Zelda behind him. "You're awake! Are you alright?" he asked, turning and kneeling in front of her.

She smiled faintly. "You cared for me while I was asleep. Thank you. As to your question…" Rather than try to sit all the way up, she eased herself to her elbows with a faint groan. "I've been better… but nothing that won't heal." Part of what made her collapse earlier had been feeling safe enough to begin her healing magic, and the bruising of her arms and face were already starting to fade.

"I'm glad you can heal yourself too," Link said, reaching to take her hand. "What did he…"

"I will not tell you." She said sharply, then let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Link, you didn't deserve that. But it's bad enough me having nightmares, I want to spare you as long as I can." Carefully, she pushed the blanket to the side and stood up gingerly. Link rushed to help her, and she chuckled, saying, "I'm just going to use the pot and clean up, Link, I can do that much on my own."

Flushing with embarrassment, he stood back and let her go, looking out the window again. At least the construction on the castle meant they had a marginally changing view, he could see the people in the distance crawling over the scaffolds. After a while, Zelda came up beside him, wrapped in the quilt again. The door opened, and Link glanced over his shoulder, an arm snaking protectively around her waist. A Twilit being was there and he tensed, but it simply shuffled into the room, depositing a small basket of bread and fruit, going through to refresh the lavatory with clean water, and left again. "Well, that was different," Link said after it left.

"So Ganondorf didn't destroy their whole race," Zelda mused. "He must have subjugated them after killing Zant, made them a servant class. Like he's threatening to do to the Hylians."

Link was quiet. This was way, way over his head. Give him the freedom to move and an enemy to pursue, and he would go forth against all odds, through any dangers. But this… this, he was out of his depth. "What do we do?" he asked.

"Cooperate," she said after a moments' pause. "There's no way he sent that Twilit here by accident. That's a warning. I'm willing to bet he's bringing in the Gerudo tribes now… the question is, will they be an occupying force, or allies?" She sighed, wrapping her arms tight around herself. "I hate not having options."

"So do I," Link said, his hand resting on her shoulder lightly. "I don't like this idea…"

"Nor do I," she said, leaning slightly against him. "But a monarch can't be free to be choosy about the alliances she has to make. I will speak in favor of his rule, to keep my people free."

"And behind closed doors you stay a plaything?" Link asked, looking down at her.

She stayed staring straight out the window, but he doubted she was seeing anything but the images in her own mind. "If necessary." Her answer was quiet, almost inaudible.

"Zelda!" he started to protest, but she reached and grabbed his hand, interrupting him.

"There is nothing he can do to me that I cannot withstand," she said firmly. "I may not like it, but he will need me alive and presentable and healthy enough to support him. And… he was not as cruel as I'd expected."

"You were bleeding," he said flatly, folding his arms.

She almost smiled, in a crooked sort of way. "He's three times my size, Link, what could you expect?" Rubbing her arms, for cold or disgust, it was hard to tell. "And he was impatient, yes… but not nearly as rough as he could have been." With proper preparation, care, and practice, it might even not be an unpleasant thing… if he were to be so accommodating, of course.

"I… Ah, Zelda, I can't even think about it without wanting to throw up," Link said, running a hand through his hair. "I could never ask that of you, never."

"The feeling is mutual," she said wryly. "And yet I believe it is our only option."

"If you're sure…" he said reluctantly. "But I don't like it."

"Neither do I."


	7. Chapter 7

Ganondorf did not return that day, to both of their great relief. Zelda's magic was returning more quickly now, although she kept having to drain it to heal either herself or Link. She suspected it was from necessity, the way a body would adapt to harsh circumstances, but it was a good thing regardless of the reason. After the midday meal, she felt ready to try some more ambitious spellwork.

She walked to the window, setting her hands lightly on the enchanted glass. The window itself was large, half her height and as long as she would be stretched out from toes to fingertips. It was made up of multiple panes of glass, as clear as the craftsmen could make them. There were a few minute bubbles and ripples, but it was some of the highest quality glass in the castle, let alone the country. It had to be, to make the watchtower any use at all.

As far as she knew, there hadn't ever been a spell on the windows before now, which made it simpler. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her magic sense, trying to see what shape the spell was. It seemed to be very simple, a strengthening charm. For that matter, it wasn't an exceptionally powerful one… if they had anything heavy and solid enough like a mace, they could probably shatter through it given a few minutes to work at it. It was quite enough to ensure the glass was substantially stronger than their bones, however, meaning they couldn't break the glass with the magic intact.

Concentrating, she splayed her fingers out across one of the panes, following the lines of the magic. They didn't move the way she expected, enchantments tended to be woven over a space this large. These ones seemed to be different, almost organic. Like roots, or veins… Frowning, she forced her awareness broader. The taste of the magic wasn't what she expected either. Fighting with Ganondorf had given her a certain familiarity with his spells, and while there hints of his… flavor, so to speak, it was blended evenly with something else.

All at once, she realized what she was dealing with, and stepped back. "Nayru forsake it, he's used Twilight magic," she spat. "I hate Twilight magic." Although it was still magic by the broadest term, it bore about as much resemblance to her brand of spells as a sword did to an axe. Given time, she could unweave, rearrange, or alter any Goddess-given magic, which is what every mage in her country used. The chosen of Nayru were the most proficient with magic in the widest of forms. Faore gave her followers movement and navigation magic for the most part, often an affinity for wild creatures. Din's few chosen had always been best at martial magic in the tales, and Ganondorf was certainly a powerful battle mage. Anyone who could touch magic could work any of the three types, although most mages had a particular affinity. Faore's specialists often did not know they were mages, simply that they were never lost, or never had trouble on the road.

Despite the variety of magic the Goddesses of Hyrule gave to the people in their land, the Twilit mages had something else entirely. Legend hinted that it might have started from the same source, but after uncountable generations in the Twilight Realms, it had changed form. It wasn't completely incompatible with her magic, or clearly with Ganondorf's, but it didn't follow any of the rules or expected results. The most important difference was that while Triforce magic was cast by the user's will and shaped by their own mind, Twilight magic was cast through a focus. While this could be viewed as a vulnerability, since an outside focus was required to cast and could be destroyed to end the spell, in this case it was an impenetrable defense. Without access to the original focus, there was no way to disrupt it.

"What does that mean?" Link asked in reference to her outburst. He'd seen magic, of course, but unless you counted howling as a wolf or grasswhistling, he'd never used any himself. Midna had handled any magic they needed doing, and transforming to wolf had never been under his control either.

"Sorry," she said with a sigh. "It means that I can't touch this enchantment. It's bound to a focus, probably some kind of gem, like Zant used to change you into a wolf. If I could touch the focus, I could unravel the spell, or smash it to release the energy. But if my magic is like water, Twilight magic is like oil. They can be bound together if you're very careful, but they can't really affect each other once in place."

"I assume the door is the same thing?" he asked, sounding like he was trying to be optimistic, but doubted it.

Zelda crossed to it, but barely had to lay a palm against the wood before saying, "Yes, different focus, but same kind of spell. I was hoping Ganondorf wouldn't have thought this far ahead… or been this lucky, whichever the case may be."

It put a damper on the rest of the day, really. It hadn't exactly started out well in the first place, and re-affirming just how well they were caught wasn't a great way to finish it. Zelda went to bed not long after they had dinner, dropping off to sleep. With nothing else to do, Link joined her a little while later when it started to get too dark to see anything out of the window clearly.

She woke him up three times with whimpers and thrashing that night. The first two, she fell back asleep after a hand on her shoulder and some reassuring words, but the third time, she just sat up and hugged her knees, staring off into the darkness. Link sat beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. When he kissed her cheek, she turned to capture his lips with hers, her arms clinging to him almost desperately.

"I don't want to hurt you…" he whispered, pulling back from her.

She followed him determinedly, crawling over his lap. "I need this, Link, I need to forget… at least for a few moments…"

He was reluctant, but she was determined, and he eventually gave in, being as gentle as possible. She set the pace, riding him harder than he would have dared to after what she'd been through earlier. It was too dark to see when it began, but after they both finished and she shifted over to lie beside him, her head on his chest and body wrapped around his, her cheeks were wet with tears. He swallowed, and set his hand lightly on her shoulder, turning his head to kiss her forehead, wishing there was something more he could do.

She was still there when the door opened to allow a Twilit servant to drop off their food in the morning. At least that meant she'd gotten a few hours of sleep, judging by the numbness in the shoulder she'd been laying on. Not that he would ever complain, of course, and he forgot totally about it when she woke up and turned away from him, not quite fast enough that he didn't catch the expression of revulsion and shame on her face.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched away. Deciding a different tactic would be needed, he got out of bed and went to pick up the food. "You need to eat something," he said.

Her face was buried in the pillow, but her voice wasn't quite muffled too much for him to hear, "I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat anyways," he said firmly. "Keep up your strength." He set a berry on her hand, and sat beside her, eating his share of the fruit.

After a good long while, he heard the barest whisper, "I'm a terrible person, Link, I'm sorry…"

"No, you're not!" he protested. "How could you think that? You've done so much, given so much…"

She shook her head, pushing herself up on her elbows. She still wasn't looking at him, but at least she picked up the berry, rolling it lightly between her fingers. "I used you last night, Link. You tried to tell me you didn't want to, and instead of respecting that, I forced you into it anyways. That is unforgiveable… Link, I… you were important to Hyrule, to me, even before this mess started. Now… I can't stand the thought of you being made uncomfortable, or hurt because of me."

He set down the basket of fruit and lay down beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "Zelda… what we did… that's never something I don't want to do. I just didn't want to hurt you."

Zelda leaned against him and shuddered, a bizarre mixture of relief and fear running through her. She'd needed to hear him forgive her, needed it badly, more than she'd thought. In almost the same instant, she realized that this was exactly what Ganondorf had been planning all along. He had been planning for them to grow close, to learn to depend on each other, care for each other… she sighed softly at how quickly, how easily she'd fallen for the bait in the trap. Now, though… now she'd just have to bargain harder, since she had more to lose. "Alright," she said firmly, sitting up and swallowing the berry that was still in her hand.

Link stared at her with no small amount of confusion as she climbed over him out of bed, strode to the door, and knocked authoritatively upon it. "I require words with Lord Ganondorf," she said loudly and clearly before turning and coming back to the bed. "Hopefully he's got guards out there who will relay messages," she said, picking up her breakfast and starting in on it with a good appetite.

"What are you planning?" Link finally managed, taken aback by her sudden change from ashamed to determined, even motivated.

She smiled at him, her quick, calculating mind showing in the set of her lips. "He's made his moves, set the board. Time for me to counter. He wants me to address my people in support of his reign? He's going to have to barter for it."

Link just stared at her, shaking his head in disbelief, but also in amused awe. Zelda laughed, and said, "He's thought an awful lot of things through, but I don't think he quite knows who he's dealing with." Maybe relinquishing her kingdom so easily to Zant was going to work in her favor. It meant Ganondorf had never seen what she was actually capable of.

It would be unseemly for Ganondorf to answer a summons from a mere prisoner too quickly, even one as important as Zelda. But she knew his curiosity would get the better of him, and he arrived a scarce couple of hours later. "And what words do you require?" he asked in an amused tone.

Zelda squarely in the center of the room, Link to her left and slightly behind. "I am prepared to speak in favor of your rule," she said simply.

"And what has brought this decision forwards?" he asked curiously.

"That is unimportant," she said. "Suffice to say that I have come to the conclusion it is in the best interests of all concerned." Rather than push too far, she let him continue the conversation from this point.

"Your much vaunted wisdom finally appears," he said with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. "And when would you like to make this announcement?"

"Today," she said. "The longer I remain out of sight, the more suspicious any explanation either of us can make will become. To that end, I will need clothing, preferably from my own wardrobe if my quarters survived the occupation and battle. Something suitable must also be found for Link, something in green."

He folded his arms, staring down at her. "And what would be the reasoning behind that?" Dressing her up properly was expected, of course, but he saw no reason for Link to be there. He'd much rather keep the meddlesome hero in this secure room.

"Because while you killed your puppet Zant and freed the capital, Link fought all through the countryside, vanquishing his lieutenants and minions, saving children and maidens, protecting the common folk and their lands and livelihoods. By pretending he doesn't exist, you'll breed discord. Acknowledge and praise his actions, claim him as an ally, and you'll gain more of that good will than either of you would alone."

There was utter silence in the room. Zelda had explained some of her plan to Link, but she'd said that she couldn't plot it all in advance, it would depend on how Ganondorf reacted. As a result, he was floored by the sheer audacity of her plan, not to mention the idea of working in tandem with the Dark Lord. Ganondorf reacted faster than Link, which Zelda offered a quick prayer of thanks for. He started to laugh, low at first, then out loud, a wide grin on his face. "This may work better than I'd thought," he said. "Very well. I'll be sending a servant along shortly with something appropriate. But keep in mind, Zelda," he said, his tone going from jovial to threatening. "If your speech professes against my rule, upsets my control in any fashion… not only will the resulting civil war be on your head, but I will take every inch of my ire out of Link's flesh."

She felt a bit of the colour drain from her face, but said quietly, "Understood." She kept her gaze locked on his as he backed out of the room, standing straight until the bar slammed home, and she sighed with relief, relaxing. "Well… that could have gone worse."

"You mean it. You actually mean to work with him," Link said, looking as if he was torn between horror and pride.

Zelda rubbed her hands together, more like she was trying to clean them than with glee. "As distasteful as it may be, I believe it to be not only our best option, but the only one available to us at the moment. However…" she paused, thinking on her words. "Link, I'm not going to actively disobey him. What I DO plan to say, though… I do not believe he will be happy. He will be furious, and he will take it out on you. I don't want to force you into this…"

"Do it," he said, interrupting her. "I can take whatever he dishes out."

She chuckled slightly, and kissed his cheek. "You are brave, I'll give you that. And maybe it won't be as bad as I'm hoping." It would be a careful balance between keeping Ganondorf happy enough that he wouldn't cause either of them too much damage, and not allowing him to control the whole situation. For her, at least, the wait for the clothing went quickly as she planned out her words, determined to make the most of the situation. Even while Link helped lace her into her borrowed gown, she kept muttering to herself, working on the phrasing, the pauses, everything she could.

Of course, trying to get him suited up took more work, and she laughed helplessly at his frustration. "You couldn't have just found me some cook's clothes or something," he grumbled, tugging at the collar. She slapped his hand away and folded the fabric back into the shape it was supposed to be.

"Oh, stop fidgeting," she said, grinning. "You're supposed to look like a hero of the realm, and the more well-cared for and confident you appear, the better." She'd seen more elaborate getups on gentry, of course, but for someone used to a loose tabard over chainmail and quilted padding, she supposed the fitted velvet tunic and high collar would be uncomfortable.

"At least it's a pretty close fit," she said, standing back with a critical eye. Her dress had needed some extra corseting to get anything approaching a proper fit, and she missed the armor that she'd built into her own wardrobe. But at least from a distance, they'd look right… and for that matter, being a little less than perfect would be more in character. The castle had been in ruins, after all, it would be expected that the nobles would be a little worse for wear too.

"I feel ridiculous," he said morosely. Although it was nice to wear clothing again, the velvet tunic was tight on his shoulders and arms, restrictive. It had clearly been designed for someone wider in the gut and less active with his hands.

"Just think of it as a new kind of armor," she said encouragingly. "We're about to enter my battlefield now, Link. And I have trained at this all my life."

_Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! Please do keep them coming, I love to know how you feel about the story. In the next chapter, we hear from an unexpected friend.  
_


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: This chapter contains a great deal of violent relations. Viewer discretion is advised, if you hadn't already suspected that was the case. As always, thank you for the feedback, please continue to tell me your thoughts!_

Link was nervous in a way he couldn't remember being before. Leaping over bottomless gorges? Sure. Flinging himself into battle against impossibly strong foes? No problem. But apparently ask him to get up in front of half a town's worth of people for speech making, even when he wasn't going to be doing the talking, and watch him go to pieces. His mouth was dry, his palms clammy, and somehow the more nervous he got, the calmer Zelda seemed to be.

With every step, she became more serene, happier. By the time Ganondorf threw open the door to the catwalk heading out to what used to be the castle proper, she was actually smiling. Of course, feeling the sun and wind on his face made him feel immensely better too… at least until he caught sight of the throng of people waiting to hear Zelda speak. Then all the nerves came back, and it was really momentum that kept him following the two of them along the top of the wall. It had been broken off, of course, but was temporarily built up into a podium of sorts, to address crowds until the castle and courtyard had been repaired.

At the end of the walk, Ganondorf stepped to the side, allowing Zelda to move up to the dais. Even standing on one of the stones, she didn't even come up to his shoulder, but somehow her slender form drew all attention, her hair and skirts blowing gently in the breeze, and she almost glowed in the sunlight. She raised her hands, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

After a moment, she lowered her hands again, and the cheering died down, allowing her to speak. "My dear people… I have been longing for the day when I would finally be able to address you again… if only from a bit of stone rampart in a construction site." She smiled, inviting the laughs. "To be honest, watching your valiant efforts rebuilding the castle have given me great comfort as I have been convalescing over the last week.

"While being held hostage by the Twilight Lord Zant meant there was little I could do personally, it was not impossible for me to reach out of our country for help. Link, a courageous goatherd from Ordon, fought through impossible odds, betrayal, and darkness to come to me and help free Hyrule. Lord Ganondorf, of the Gerudo tribes, started the long journey towards Castletown. We thought we had a third ally in the deposed Princess of Twilight, but once she came close to achieving her own goals of regaining her throne, she abandoned our goals, attempting to dethrone Zant and take control of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm herself.

"As most of you may have noticed, the resulting battle did some damage to the castle," she said dryly. There was a pause for laughter, and maybe Zelda could sense Ganondorf's growing dissatisfaction with the speech, or maybe she'd already had it planned. "If it were not for Ganondorf's strength and ferocity in battle, there is no doubt we would not have prevailed, and our beloved country would still be in shadow, our people trapped in Twilight.

"But thanks to this unprecedented cooperation between our disparate peoples, Hyrule is free once more, and will continue to rebuild!" There were shouts of agreement, support from the crowd. "It is my greatest pleasure to announce that Hyrule, Ordon Province, and the Gerudo Nation will be joined together and ruled by a triumvirate! I am certain our peoples will only prosper under this union." She took Link's hand in hers, unflinchingly taking hold of Ganondorf's on the left, and raised both hands over her head to the loudest round of cheering yet. Bowing gracefully, she turned and stepped down from the makeshift dais, Ganondorf handing her down with an intense gaze and grudging nod of respect. Ignoring the painfully tight pressure of his fingers on her hand, she returned the nod and strode back to the tower, sweeping Link and Ganondorf along in her wake. Link, at least, was feeling a little bit dazed, like he wasn't entirely sure what just happened.

It wasn't until they entered the tower and Ganondorf sent the few guards scurrying with a glare, his hand clamping on Link's arm with an iron grip, that he realized that yes, Zelda had actually just done that, and now they were about to face the consequences. Ironically, now all his nervousness drained away. This was back on familiar ground again, even if it wasn't pleasant.

.

Outside, nobody noticed the patch of slightly darker shadow lurking under the scaffolding erected against the south wall. While the departing crowd was jubilant, the shadow seethed with betrayed rage.

.

She had been magnificent.

Ganondorf respected brilliance and power in all forms, even as he desired it. And in being such as Zelda, with such a blend of strength and wisdom and beauty, the desire strengthened right to lust. Lust for her physical self, of course, but also an intense, burning desire to control that power, to dominate her proud will. That was why he'd set up this scenario, of course, and he was pleased at how obligingly they had fallen for each other.

He tightened his grip on Link's arm, lifting him off the ground and dragging him up the stairs. Zelda rushed after, demanding that he put him down. After all, she hadn't technically broken any terms of their agreement. Of course, she knew he wouldn't, he saw the challenge in her eyes as she stepped down from that dais, every inch a queen. She knew what this was going to mean for the both of them… although she had been clever in promising continued appearances to her public, requiring him to keep her in a physical condition fit to be seen.

That was fine. There were other ways to break her to his will. And he'd have a few days' grace anyways. That emotional speech had clearly taxed her so she'd need time to recover… or so he planned to say the next day when she didn't reappear to her people.

As the only section of the castle to survive with only minor cosmetic damages, it had been sensible to not only keep his prisoners on the top floor, but set up his own quarters and the public meeting room on some of the lower levels. He still treasured the look of horror on Zelda's face when she realized he'd been sleeping just two floors below them this entire time, able to scry their activities whenever he deemed fit. The tower was sealed, and he had dismissed his servants for the day, keeping only a Twilit in his own rooms to attend to whatever needs he might require. Secure in the knowledge that neither of them was going anywhere, Ganondorf flung Link up the last curve of stairs and strode unhurriedly after him.

Zelda rushed past him to Link's side, horrified at the casual brutality and the way Link cried out unwillingly as he hit the staircase. She had known, academically, that rebelling the way she had during her public address would have this consequence. However, seeing Link cringe in pain as he sat up, rolling the shoulder he'd landed on, was a different level of understanding. "Leave him be!" she snapped, standing in front of him.

Ganondorf halted several stairs below, so he was looking right at Zelda. "Oh, I don't think so. You see… the two of you seem to be operating under some misguided principle that you can still beat me. That if you try hard enough, you're going to be victorious." He kept climbing, until he was standing just the stair below her, looming over her as he stared down. She didn't back away, he noted. "You keep forgetting that I've already _won._"

"I hold all the cards," he said, grabbing a fistful of her hair, prompting a quickly stifled yelp. "I have all the power, and you… both of you are mine, to do with as I wish." He reached past her, throwing the door open, and flung her through, heedless of the long strands of hair that tore from her head. Link scrambled up as Ganondorf strode past him, leaping onto his back.

Before he had a chance to get his hands up anywhere they could do any use, Ganondorf snatched Link from his back, wrapping one massive hand around his throat. He lunged forwards, pinning Link to the wall, his feet well off the ground. The boy's hands scrambled at his, short, dull nails unable to do more than scratch lightly at his skin, completely unable to break his vise like grip.

Zelda came at him then, and he snagged her with his free arm, pulling her tight against his body. She struggled against him, nails digging into his hand, not quite able to reach far enough to stamp on his feet. He'd been half-hard from the moment he took her hand after the speech, and he ground his hips forwards against her back. Her shudder was delicious, as were her renewed struggles, squirming against him and only increasing his arousal.

He bent his head down, murmuring in a low voice, "Look at him, Zelda… struggling for breath, helpless… and all your fault. I don't plan to kill him… but it's so easy to squeeze just a little too hard…" He suited action to words, Link's body stiffening in pain, his franticly clawing hands slowing, weakening.

All at once, he felt Zelda's struggles stop, though all the tension remained in her body. He could feel her trembling, with rage or fear he didn't know and didn't care, but her hands dropped from his arm, moving behind her, resting lightly on the shaft pressing into her back. "Please… let him go," she said softly, the promise inherent in her hands rather than her words.

After another couple of moments, just because he liked the helpless, half-senseless look on Link's face, he released his hand, letting the boy drop to the ground. He fell limply with a soft wheeze, coughing pathetically as he struggled to breathe. Wrenching her eyes from him, Zelda turned around to face Ganondorf, her trembling hands stroking him through the fine material of his clothing.

Impatient, he undid the fastenings, pulling his shaft free of his trousers. He let out a soft groan of pleasure as Zelda's hands wrapped around him. He pushed her head down, enjoying the feel of her tongue and lips on the head of his cock. Her mouth was too small to properly take him in, but he reasoned that was no reason why she shouldn't pleasure him anyways.

Zelda hoped beyond measure that Link was unconscious and would stay that way. She hated the thought of him watching, couldn't stand to see his innocent self tainted by this. It was bad enough that he saw the aftermath, could guess what she was doing to keep her country safe. Worse by far for him to see her so depraved.

Even without the humiliating, forced aspects of dealing with Ganondorf, she far preferred to lie with Link. He was gentle and caring, yes, but more to the point, his was the size her body was designed to join with. Gerudo might be human, but their hard desert life and careful breeding over the centuries had produced a race substantially bigger than their Hylian cousins, and it took both of her hands to wrap around the thickness of his shaft. And she knew well how hard pressed her body was to accommodate such a girth.

His hands had just moved from her head to her back, starting to undo the lacing on her dress when she heard a hoarse yell of fury. Link flew past her, hitting Ganondorf hard in the chest, his hands clawing at his face and teeth sinking into his neck. As a human, this wasn't nearly as crippling a blow as one would hope, and Ganondorf roared in rage. He swung a fist, catching Link in the stomach, his other hand lashing out at Zelda, spinning her to the floor with a vicious backhand. The reflexive retch from the stomach blow made Link loosen his grip and he dropped to the ground, dark blood on his teeth.

"You have the manners of a dog, boy," Ganondorf snarled, drawing himself up to his full height, ignoring the torn, sluggishly bleeding bite on his neck and the faint scratches just below one eye. He smirked, and Link's already bruised stomach plummeted. "So I'll have your body reflect the animal you are." He raised his hand again as if to strike, the glint of an intricately carved Twilight focus glinting in his fist.

At least as a wolf he'd have proper teeth again. Link stood his ground as the familiar sensations of Twilight magic surrounded him, his Triforce flaring, shifting him into the form of a wolf to protect his spirit. He didn't expect Ganondorf's full weight to crush him to the ground even as he finished transforming, forcing the breath out of him in a pained yelp. He heard tearing cloth, and a strip of something being bound around his muzzle, keeping his jaws clamped together, Ganondorf's hands tying the knot cruelly tight behind his ears.

He felt himself picked up, tossed like a sack of grain against the wall. He let out a muffled yelp as he hit the ground, and by the time he got back to his paws, the manacle on his leg was attached to a new chain bolting him to the fireplace. Link saw Zelda struggling to her feet, saw her running towards him, saw Ganondorf's heavy hand come down, knocking her to the ground barely two feet from the end of his chain. Link strained against it, whining, his paws scrabbling on the floor, but couldn't get closer to her.

Ganondorf didn't bother with the niceties of unlacing her gown this time. Starting from where he'd torn a strip of her skirt for Link's makeshift muzzle, he simply tore upwards, exposing her legs, her hips. For a moment, he considered stopping there, since he'd uncovered what he wanted, but decided he liked the idea of exposing her fully, leaving her nothing to hide behind. He reshifted his grip up to her bodice, ignoring the feeble protests of her hands pushing against his, tearing through the cloth and tossing the rags to the side.

She squirmed away, her fingers just managing to brush Link's fur before Ganondorf yanked her back, kneeling over her. Link whined helplessly, straining against the chain, trying to reach them. Oh, he liked this… he liked this a lot. Making sure the wolf could see everything he was doing, Ganondorf seized Zelda's thighs, yanking her up against him. She cried out as his too-large head pressed against her entrance, struggling against him. Showing an impressive amount of strength and flexibility, she sat right up on his lap, her hand swinging for the bite Link had left on his neck, her fingers hooked into claws. He roared with pain as her nails dug into the damaged flesh, and shoved her backwards onto the floor.

She tried to scramble away again, but he kept a firm grip on her leg, his other hand reaching forwards to her neck. Twisting agilely, she sank her teeth into the skin between thumb and finger, making him shout and slap her. Pain exploded in her cheek and behind her eye, and she cried out involuntarily. His hands were at her legs again, pulling her against him.

Oh, he liked her like this. Far more entertaining than the obedient, unresisting episode in his quarters days ago. He pressed himself against her entrance, using one hand to help hold himself straight as he pushed into her gloriously tight body. She screamed and flailed, pushing against him, her nails scratching along any bit of his body she could reach. While she wasn't doing him any serious damage, it was annoying, and he moved his hand from his shaft to her arms, pinning them above her head. His other hand held her thigh tightly, keeping her hips in place while he forced his way into her.

Link keened helplessly, pawing at the muzzle, pulling at his shackle, trying desperately to get to Zelda. They were maddeningly close, their hands just inches away from his back paw at farthest stretch. He could see the raw lines her long nails had left on his arms and face, could smell the metallic taint of blood in the air, whimpering as the scent of hers joined his. He could see every line of pain on her face as she tried desperately to squirm away from him, could hear the panting gasps of her breath as she struggled not to cry out.

Ganondorf was thoroughly enjoying himself. He should have done this the first day he had the two Hylians under his control. Link's eyes in the wolfish face were still human, and were wide with pain and horror and desperation, his ears flat and tail tucked tight to his rump as he struggled against his bindings. The raw emotion was delicious, almost as enjoyable as the feeling of Zelda's tight heat around him. She was biting her lip, fighting back tears from the pain of his intrusion. He moved within her, his pleasure growing at the way she squirmed and cried out under him.

Moving slowly became easier, her blood coating and slicking his length as he drove into her over and over. The wolf had laid down now, still straining towards them, whining, flinching every time Zelda cried out. He made sure she had plenty of reason to, taking a moment to bind her hands with another scrap of her skirt, freeing up his hands to run over her body. He tried pushing a finger into her mouth to make her gag, but her teeth sank in just below his knuckle, and he had to dig the fingers of his free hand in under her jaw to make her let go. The fact that she was still fighting back, even as helpless and pained as she was, made him groan, his hips driving into her faster, savoring his domination over her.

He alternated between caresses and pinches, light stroking and cruel scratches. Zelda wasn't sure which she hated more, the touches that almost brought pleasure or the ones that sent searing pain through her body. She yelped as his teeth bit into the soft flesh of her breast, thrashing under him, whimpering as his tongue played softly over her nipple.

Ganondorf looked up at Link, shifting on the floor at the very farthest reach of his chain, still trying helplessly to escape. His hips drove powerfully into Zelda's resisting body, her struggles growing weaker as his thrusts grew in pace and depth. His eyes stared into the wolf's, making every thrust, every whimper from Zelda into a statement, a declaration. Fury rose in those blue eyes, clouding the humanity in him, making him seem more truly animal. Link growled low in the throat, a pointless threat as he was in no position to do anything about it.

"Mine," Ganondorf growled back. "Both of you… mine!" His voice rose to a snarl as he drove into Zelda deep enough to make her scream, matched by a sympathizing keen from Link. The sounds of their shared pain were as the most perfect music he'd ever heard, and he released deep inside her, his hips thrusting minutely as he came.

He took his time withdrawing from her, savoring every whimper she made. Her bound hands were over her eyes now, her teeth clenched with the effort of not breaking down completely. Picking up a scrap of fabric from her gown, he wiped himself clean, tossing the rag at Link, who scrambled out of the way like it was a hive of bees. Slowly, he laced his trousers, tugging his shirt back into place, running his hands over his hair to smooth it back down. Link watched him furiously, Zelda shuddering with the effort of holding herself together. He smiled slowly, fingers brushing lightly over the wound on his neck, twisting up the collar of his shirt to disguise it. The pain didn't seem to bother him now, brushing the blood from his knuckles onto the black shirt where it blended invisibly. "Now don't go anywhere," he mocked, sounding utterly pleased with himself as he withdrew from the room, locking the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: Thank you for reading, following, reviewing… I am pleased that you are enjoying this story. Thanks especially to UnNi for being such a faithful reviewer since the first chapter. I would reply enthusiastically to your lovely, long reviews, if you had an account so I could send you a message. For now, I just hope that Zelda's battlegrounds are meeting your expectations._

Zelda managed to not fall apart for eight heartbeats after she heard the heavy bar slam into place. After that, neither her pride or will could hold her steady, and she rolled to her side, curling up and drawing her bound hands into her chest. She let out a sound that made Link's heart ache, a wracking sob that seemed to encompass her whole body.

He whined helplessly, although at least she'd rolled over towards him. Pulling as far out from the wall as the chain would allow, he reached for her, just able to brush her cheek with his nose. Her usually sweet, rich smell was tainted with blood and pain and overlaid with Ganondorf's strong scent, but he snuffled at her skin anyway, his nose brushing at the salt of tears.

It took several moments, but she pushed herself up to her knees, crawling closer to him. Although he'd intended to comfort her, the first thing she did was sit beside him, fingers tugging gently at the knot behind his ears. He could feel her trembling, could hear the uneven gasping of her breath, not quite sobbing, but she managed to untie him anyways.

Focusing on getting Link's muzzle off had given her something else to think about, a distraction. Absently, she folded the strip of cloth, just for something to do with her hands as he licked his lips, yawning to stretch out the muscles. Suddenly, the effort of sitting up seemed far too much, and she leaned forwards, burying her face in the thick ruff of fur around his neck. She drew in a deep shuddering breath, inhaling the heavy musk of wolf, still woven with Link's familiar smell, and she collapsed onto him, abruptly overcome.

Link whined softly, turning his head. He didn't want to pull away from Zelda, especially as her fingers tightened in his fur, clinging to him. He curled slightly, licking at the outside of her thigh since it was within reach, wishing desperately he could say something, or hold her. She needed to be in the bed, resting, but he couldn't carry her or pick up the covers, or even reach the bed, chained to the wall. He stayed curled up, letting her cry into his fur, miserable at how little he could do for her.

Eventually, her fingers loosened and her breathing slowed, and Link cautiously shifted position so he was curled around her as much as she was draped over him, giving her what comfort he could. He licked gently at her face, lapping up her tears. At some point he heard the awful, grating, not–sound of a Twilit servant dropping off food, but didn't bother to get up. The food could wait, what he and Zelda both needed was sleep, time to heal. He sniffed lightly at her face, just enough to make sure her breathing was still deep and even, and curled up, dropping back to sleep.

When he awoke again it was dark, and Zelda had shifted more onto the floor. He stood up carefully, easing her arm to the floor. He sniffed down her body, checking over her injuries. Her skin was cooler than he liked, although hot around the bruises where she'd been struck or squeezed. Deciding that the floor was no place for her, he gently nosed at her shoulder, then her neck, licking her cheek and whining softly. Slowly, she woke up, moaning quietly as she eased herself up. Whuffing softly at her, he laid down in front of her, chewing cautiously at the strip of cloth binding her wrists. She sighed softly when the last few strands broke, rubbing her wrists gingerly.

He nuzzled at her neck encouragingly, urging her up. Gesturing with his nose, he pointed to the bed, wagging his tail slightly. He'd never been much for words, but he hadn't realized how difficult it was to be completely mute. He whimpered a bit when she hesitated, butting his head gently against her side. Remembering the food, he trotted back to the door, gently picking up the apple in his mouth and coming back to her, the chain dragging on the floor. Nosing at her hand, he dropped it in her palm, licking her fingers lightly. She made a sound that was almost crying, but was clearly trying to be a laugh, and he wriggled happily, nosing her ribs. Her laugh was a little firmer this time, and she rubbed his ears with her free hand, leaning forward to kiss his forehead before moving over to the bed.

Link huffed happily, pleased she was somewhere more comfortable, especially when he heard her take a bite of food. His own injuries had been mostly bruising, and the form shift to wolf had actually helped his throat. Satisfied she was going to be alright, he trotted back to the door, bolting down the piece of meat that had been left for him. As a human, he might have balked at the rawness, but his wolf body had no complaints, except that it wanted substantially more of it. Come to think of it, they hadn't been getting a lot of food since they were locked up. Enough to survive on, but not enough to feel truly energetic or satisfied.

His ears pricked and he turned back to look at Zelda as she slid under the quilt, her form highlighted in pale silver from the half moon. The floor wasn't as comfortable as the bed, but his furred body withstood the cold far better, and he was able to curl up and drift back to sleep, watching Zelda's still form as long as he was awake.

At some point during the night, after the moon had set but hours before the sun rose, Link woke to the sound of Zelda crying out softly in her sleep. He raised his head, and saw she was twisting in the covers, trying to push them away, her sleep-addled mind probably envisioning them as heavy, imprisoning hands. Link stood up, walking reflexively for her, tripping over the manacle keeping him bound to the fireplace. He whined piteously, trying to wake her, then increased in sound to a yip, as much of a bark as his wolfish throat could make.

Zelda jerked awake with a gasp and curled in on herself, shuddering with sobs. Link sat on the floor, straining towards her, whining, wishing he could articulate something, anything. After a few minutes, her shudders shifted into shivering, and she drew the quilt back over herself. Link lay down uneasily, setting his head on his paws. He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he heard her get out of bed, dragging the quilt with her.

She saw Link's head tilt quizzically at her as she walked towards him and sat down. Not trusting her voice, she just reached out to rub his ear again, leaning against his flank and curling up again. The bed may be softer, but at least Link would help chase the nightmares away… or banish them more quickly than she could wake up on her own at least. She felt him curl around her, his furry self almost as comforting as his arms around her had been.

They both slept terribly. Wolves slept lightly to begin with, and Zelda kept jerking awake, or starting to cry in her sleep again, and Link would wake up, bathing her cheek or shoulder or arm or whatever part of her he could reach with doggish kisses until she'd relax again, going back to sleep. He was miserable at not being able to do more, felt terrible for how stiffly she moved the next morning when the sun rose and they both finally gave up on sleeping properly. She moved to the window, wrapping the quilt tightly around her body, staring morosely out at the rising sun.

The beautiful, soft morning lightly did nothing to raise her spirits today. Even the sight of industry in distant Castletown, the smoke from the bakers' fires, the wagons just starting to move about, left her feeling cold and filthy. The memory of Ganondorf's hands, his too big body, the way he'd clearly enjoyed her struggles and pain were a shadow on everything. She was abruptly aware of the dried, caked mess on her skin from the night before, the throbbing, burning pain between her legs, the duller ache of bruises from the rough treatment. Suddenly sick to her stomach, she turned and dashed for the small washing room.

Link whimpered as he heard her retching, pulling, pacing at the end of the chain. The manacle was rubbing raw against his leg in a way it never had before… but then, he'd never had a reason to pull against it so much before. After a while, he heard the faint sounds of water trickling, and knew she must be washing herself. He felt a sudden wave of guilt that he hadn't tried to clean her last night, but it had been bad enough when he'd been able to use a cloth. He didn't think he'd be able to lick that off of her skin, not without losing the pitiful amount of food he'd eaten last night.

Even as focused as he was on Zelda, his keen hearing picked up the sound of angry, heavy tread on the stairs, even before the Triforce hidden beneath his fur started to prickle. He spun, trotting towards the door, standing determinedly in front of it. He was unprepared for how abruptly the door swung inward with a crash, or the look of fury on Ganondorf's face as he strode into the room. "How did you do it?" he bellowed. "Zelda!"

Link snarled, lunging at him. He didn't have enough slack in the chain to leap at his throat, but he sank his teeth into Ganondorf's hand instead. Blood spurted under his teeth and he felt bone crack, but before he could start to thrash and really do some damage, Ganondorf's other fist caught him in the ear and he fell back with a yelp, seeing stars.

While a part of Zelda wanted to just hide in the lavatory, she knew Ganondorf would come after her anyways. She was just straightening up when she heard Link's challenging growls and Ganondorf's bellow of pain. The sound of Link's pained howl was what drove her out of the room, though, adding angry colour to her pale, pallid cheeks. "How dare you touch him!" she snapped, striding forwards. The wolf was staggering back to his feet, shaking his head dazedly, but he still stepped forwards at Zelda's side, growling low.

"Where is it?" Ganondorf growled back, seizing Zelda's arms and yanking her forwards, heedless of the blood trickling from his hand. "How did you manage it?" He barely even paused as he spun to kick Link in the muzzle as the wolf leapt for him again, sending him sprawling with a yelp of pain. "Where did you put that gem?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Zelda cried out, her heart pounding, fear making her voice a great deal higher and weaker than she wanted. It had been easy to be angry for Link, but now that Ganondorf had her right in his grasp again, her body was almost ready to collapse with terror and dread.

"The Twilight Gem! How did you take the Twilight Gem?" he demanded, throwing her across the room onto the bed, covering the space in three quick strides. He knelt over her, one hand in her hair, the other on the bed beside her head. "Where is it?"

"I don't know!" she shrieked. Link howled behind them, scrabbling madly on the floor, trying to pull free.

"You lie!" he snarled, slapping her, the blood from Link's bite spattering across her face and neck. She cried out, cringing away from him. "I've heard the lies you can spin, you silver-tongued whore of a queen. What did you do with it?"

She wasn't sure afterwards what made her snap. Maybe it was that final blow, blindingly painful across the previous bruise. Maybe it was the insults, or maybe a change in pitch of Link's piteous howl. Or perhaps Nayru herself reached down and touched her spirit for a moment, but all at once the noise, the pain, the terror all ceased. Time slowed down, and Zelda felt the cool, reasoning strength of the Triforce she'd been born to bear wash through her mind.

Ganondorf was inches above her, as angry as ever, but she saw hints of fear fuelling the anger. Her mind worked incredibly, impossibly fast, recognizing scattered facts, hints, guesses and subtle connections. "You've lost the focus you used to bind the Twilight," she spoke. Her hand came up to block his next blow, and whether it was surprise or goddess-given power, her gently raised fingers halted his hand a foot away from her face.

While they'd been bound before, of course, that was through Zant. Now, with him dead, Ganondorf must have used the massive release of energy from killing such a powerful Twilight mage to twist his original spell, forcing the Twilight to do his bidding. That was why they'd been so biddable, doing the inglorious jobs of caring for prisoners, guard duty, whatever Ganondorf needed silent, unquestioning servants for. And they usually had breakfast dropped off by now, meaning that they were no longer taking orders.

There wouldn't have been much time for him to set the spell. Working with Din's raw power flowing through him, he'd have been able to wrench the souls of the Twilight people to his will without any careful casting or protection, but he wouldn't have been able to go searching for a focus…

Ah. The crown. That was why he'd stopped wearing it. The topaz he'd worn in his headpiece must have been the closest, largest receptacle for that much energy, so he'd have sacrificed his jewelry for control over the Twilight. Once the souls were bound to it, he'd never be able to wear such a powerfully charged object on his bare skin without being driven mad, so he must have hidden it…

Here. In the tower, probably in his own quarters. Zelda hadn't seen it, but then, she hadn't been down there for a tour. But there was no need to tell him everything she suspected or figured out. "I didn't touch it. I don't know where you've put it, and neither Link or I can leave this room without you unlocking and unwarding the door." Her voice was calm, even.

He didn't look any less furious, but he didn't try to hit her again either. "Then who, my dear, clever Zelda, could have taken it? It would take a powerful mage to get through my wards." And she was the best in the kingdom.

Zelda didn't think she had an answer, and then it came to her in the same rush the previous revelations had. Motive, willingness, ability; and just possibly, opportunity. "Are you sure you killed Midna, Ganondorf?"


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the support. This chapter took me longer than I expected, three rewrites over the course of the week. Thank you for your patience. And thank you to the tech support at Microsoft who got my computer back online and running without losing the hard drive containing almost the entire chapter._

Warping was harder without the wolf around.

She'd been the one supplying the energy for the transfer, of course, and actually making the jump, but she hadn't realized that Link had actually been doing so much navigating. Getting into the castle tower had been one thing, she could form up right outside the wall and warp in. When the time came to leave, though, she realized she didn't have a focus on where to go. She'd gotten out of the tower fine, warping back to her start point, but then couldn't see clearly enough where to go next.

For the last hour, she'd been warping from where she was to as far as she could clearly see, skipping out of Castletown, across the surrounding fields and croplands a few dozen meters at a time. It was an exhausting way to travel, but better than trying to run on useless, undersized legs. With relief, she made her last warp into the shadow of the canyon cutting into the rock walls surrounding the Hylian Fields.

Midna breathed a deep, ragged sigh, grinning in triumph. She held up the trinket she'd taken, admiring the intricate lines of the gold filigree, the unearthly glow of the central topaz, throbbing with the strength of the magic running through it. She clutched it to her chest, leaning back against the stone wall behind her, laughing. Finally, after all this time, all this searching, her people's lives were free.

Or would be, as soon as she made the choice about how to handle it. With the binding broken, she'd have her full powers as well as body back, meaning she could warp properly between realms as well as move around physically. The farther she was from Ganondorf when she broke the enchantment, however, the less clearly he'd sense it, which was why she'd taken it and run in the first place.

That in itself had been a hard choice. Hearing Zelda's clever, wickedly phrased, cruelly twisting speech had given her the focus she needed to literally pull herself together. That very night, she'd warped her way into the one tower she hadn't managed to flatten while brawling with Ganondorf. She'd intended to kill him, him and Zelda both; but somewhat to her surprise, the princess wasn't in the state rooms, although her scent was fresh on the air.

Ganondorf was slumbering alone in the massive bed, barely visible by the light of the embers glowing in the fireplace. Midna searched the room for something either sharp or heavy enough to use… while she'd love him to suffer, she didn't have any illusions about her relative strength compared to his at the moment, and a quick death would have to suffice. She'd just laid a hand on the knife resting on the platter among scraps of meat when she felt the hint of Twilight magic in the room. A few moments of searching revealed the hidden crown she'd last seen woven into his mane, positively crawling with the most potent knot of Twilight magic she'd ever felt.

She knew immediately what she held, the echo of her people's souls crying out silently under her fingertips for release. The temptation to try and kill him first was immense, but she rather doubted her ability to succeed, let alone escape afterwards. No… with her peoples' fate in her hand, the much better option was to escape, to come at him another way.

And so she'd ran, and was now debating on whether she was far enough away to break his enchantment and regain her powers, so she could escape into Twilight tonight, or whether it was worth it to continue running now, hide in the day, and leave Hyrule altogether before releasing her people and announcing her presence. There was a town ahead, small, but she might be able to find a steed.

Much to her disappointment, the livestock was pitiful. A few braces of chickens, housecats, a handful of goats, recently kidded and swollen with milk, meaning they wouldn't be willing or able to move quickly. There were a bare handful of cart horses and mules, most too old to travel at more than a walk. The only one young enough to be worth taking was lying on the floor of her stall, a mare recovering from some illness or injury, and too weak to stand, let alone gallop at the speed Midna needed.

The sky was already beginning to lighten to the east, and Midna growled. She was running out of time, the gamble on finding a steed had wasted precious minutes of darkness. Deciding that having her full abilities and form back would be a better bet than hiding and hoping she wasn't found before next nightfall, Midna leapt her way up to the top of the canyon, out of view of the small town below. Taking a deep breath, she reached deep into the jewel, grasping onto the threads of the magic bound within it.

.

Miles away, Ganondorf awoke with a start.

.

There was an incredible amount of energy bound up in the pendant, but it gave easier than Ganondorf probably expected it would have. Midna was aided by being kin to those bound in the spell, and she could work through it almost as if it were her own. Unweaving it took a matter of moments, wrenching the last of his magic free only a few seconds more. For just a breath, nothing happened as the topaz crazed with minute, glistening lines.

For most of Hyrule, nothing noticeable happened at all. Perhaps a slight shift of the light, if one was really looking for it. Every Twilit being in the remains of Hyrule castle went immediately still, then disappeared into a warp of their own, leaving the tower and grounds empty.

Midna cried out with delight as her whole being shifted, expanding from the tightly bound form and restricted magics to her rightful shape. She had a form again, a body to feel the night air caress across her skin, breeze rustle through her hair. Shadows cloaked her, a shifting robe of illusion she drew and formed about herself.

Her people surrounded her, shadows in the darkness, questioning what had happened, too cautious and suspicious after long imprisonment to believe it was true. She reassured them, laughing with delight, although her joy was soured by how few of her people were here with her. So many had been lost… killed in battle or sacrificed to magic, faded into darkness and lost to themselves.

There would be a reckoning The Hylian rulers had centuries worth of exile and torment to atone for. Simply because their so-called goddesses had decreed certain types of magic anathema, her ancestors had been banished, locked in the Twilight Realm. It was a cruel mockery of Hyrule and the rest of the lands in the light world, harsh to survive in. The Twilit had adapted, shifting to suit their new environment even as they twisted it to serve them. They now bore as little resemblance to their Hylian cousins as the Gorons did… and they had grown strong in adversity.

Zant had managed to blanket all of Hyrule in Twilight, a considerable achievement, and one that had shook its people to their core. However, he'd never had managed it without Ganondorf's power… and there had been substantially more of them at that time. There were dozens of shadowy forms with her on the mesa top, where there should be hundreds. She'd been forced to help Link kill many of them herself, while they were twisted, held captive by Ganondorf's powers.

He would pay for that.

But in order to do that, they needed help. Hyrule was rebuilding, shifting uneasily under a new government. The Princess Zelda was well on her way to stabilizing that… although Midna wondered at the circumstances. Ganondorf had been their enemy before… but the girl was supposed to be gifted with wisdom. It was not impossible she'd seen fit to ally with a powerful force. Link had followed _her_ orders, after all. And after Ganondorf's terrible demonic form ripped her to bare shreds of shadow, it was understandable that the Princess had decided Ganondorf was stronger.

Ah, but what of Link? That boy was brave, loyal, and foolish. And he had not looked pleased at Zelda's speech. Perhaps he wasn't willingly involved in this… unnatural union, perhaps he could be brought back under her influence. She held some small affection for him, he'd been a good servant and a fearless, capable warrior. If he willingly joined her, she'd take him back… she smiled at his imagined reaction to her new form and abilities. Yes, speaking to Link would have to be one of her goals.

She might even let him talk her into sparing the Princess. Zelda _had_ healed her cursed body, after all, and her charisma and wisdom would be assets if she could be brought properly to heel. If Link thought he could teach her proper obedience, maybe she would let the two Hylians live under her command.

There would be no such bargaining for Ganondorf. He had orchestrated this plot, dethroned and humiliated her, been responsible for the slaughter of most of her people. He would suffer, and he would die. She would make sure of it, this time; that hole in his chest was just begging to be enlarged.

But in order to take Hyrule, she'd need more strength. She and her people were powerful mages, wielding magic that was unlike anything the Hylian spellcasters could use. However, she would need more than that. She needed soldiers who could march in daylight, who could hold the ground they captured. And for that she needed allies, more than a single wolf could do.

Hyrule had long been a blessed nation, literally watched over by Goddesses of Light and their underlings. Some things were universal, including greed. There would be neighboring countries dissatisfied with Hyrule's long prosperity, eager to take advantage of their weakness in recovery. All Midna had to do was find one she could manipulate into acting how and when she wanted them to.

"Tonight, my brothers and sisters, we rest in our beautiful Twilight, free at last." Midna called out. Her voice was low and rich, but contained unnatural tones that made the animals in the town below stir restlessly. "And tomorrow, we begin preparations for war."

They cheered, a disquieting sound to any who lived in the light world, a grating, off-key susurrus. A raven quorked in protest and took off, heading instinctually for the sunlight that was now moving from the clouds down Death Mountain and into the canyon below. It reached the light and settled into a glide, the warmth of the sun easing away the shivers caused by the cries of the Twilit. The raven glanced down, but the mesa was empty as the sunlight pooled over the rock, banishing all remnants of night.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: I believe I managed to reply to everyone who left a signed review. As always, thank you so much for your feedback! I feel so honored to have such lovely, clearly intelligent people reading this story. And to UnNi... I wasn't expecting this much plot either. Without further ado, let's get back to Link and Zelda and pissed off Ganondorf, shall we?_

"Get up, dog," Ganondorf said, climbing off of Zelda and moving over to Link. "Time to earn your keep."

Link was only faintly aware of what was going on. His nose ached blindingly and it was hard to breathe, everything smelled like blood. Who knew having a muzzle would make a broken nose so much more painful? He felt Ganondorf's foot nudging his robs, not as cruelly as he'd expected, but only managed a wheezing whimper in response.

"He's not going to be able to scent anything in this condition," Zelda said, anger back in her tone. "And I doubt very much that Midna left a scent trail anyways. She's Twilit, she would have warped. And no wolf can track a trail that isn't there."

He was not happy. But the aggravating girl was right, on both counts. Growling in annoyance, he turned and stalked out of the room to go start a search for what traces of magic he could pick up.

Zelda let out a sigh of relief as the door slammed shut, and crawled off the bed to kneel beside Link. He glanced up at her, whimpering softly. "Poor thing," she murmured, stroking the top of his head lightly. "You know, you really shouldn't provoke him so badly... And yes, I know you were just trying to keep me safe. Hold still."

Link stopped his shifting and let his head rest in her hands. Since he was expecting it this time, he felt the gentle touch of her magic, warm and natural. It felt almost like resting in bed, laying in a sunbeam, only intensified tenfold. The aching in his muzzle faded away and he heaved a big sigh of relief, noticing the aches from the night before had faded as well. He licked her nose and she chuckled, rubbing his ears. "There, better? Now, no more picking fights when you're chained down to the floor, hmm?"

He grumbled in protest and licked her nose again, noticing that her bruises were fainter now too. He prodded her cheek questioningly with his nose, and she pushed him away gently. "That's cold, Link. And yes, I healed myself too." Her stomach growled, and she chuckled ruefully. "And now I need to replenish all that lost energy. Would it have been too much to ask for him to drop off breakfast while he was accusing me of stealing his trinkets?"

Her voice was just a hair sharper, a hair more brittle than it normally was. Link could tell she was using the dry humor to cover up the pain and humiliation that didn't melt away as easily as bruises. He sat up and leaned against her, nosing briefly at her ear before settling his chin on her shoulder. She gasped slightly at the cold nose, but leaned against him, wrapping one arm around his back.

Goddess, he wished he could do something more for her. Talk to her, or hold her… or even just go look out the window with her. He didn't know what she was thinking about, and didn't even have a way to ask, couldn't reassure her or distract her. As satisfying as it had been to crunch into Ganondorf's hand, he'd trade forms in an instant if he could.

She stayed like that for a long time, long enough that he realized she might have dozed off. Considering how little sleep she'd gotten the night before, he couldn't blame her. Maybe it was easier to sleep in the daylight when you were haunted by dreams that bad. Gently, carefully, he eased down to the floor so she was laying on top of him in a slightly less awkward position to sleep in.

He must have dozed too, because they both woke up with a start when Ganondorf stormed his way back up the tower. Zelda's fingers were tight in his fur, but Link wouldn't have chased her off even if she was yanking out fur by the fistful. Since the only comfort he could offer her was being soft and cuddly, that's what he was going to be. He did growl low in his throat as Ganondorf opened the door, though, warning him out of his territory and away from Zelda.

"If you don't behave yourself, I'll break your nose again," he said, almost pleasantly. Link's lip curled up, but otherwise he stayed where he was. Ganondorf smiled and dropped a bundle of clothing on the floor. "Put that on," he said to Zelda.

"And why would I do anything you want me to?" she asked, her voice tense.

"Because I told you to," he said. "And if you do, then I'll feed you and the dog when we get back." He didn't bother to say what he'd do if she refused, it was just left hanging in the tension of the room.

Link held still, not sure whether he should encourage her to go with him or resist. Zelda hesitated for several moments, debating. The dress was plain, perfectly respectable, if not anything fit for a state speech; so chances were, he wanted her presentable. Ganondorf was being oddly pleasant about this… and the prospect of food was a bigger part of her decision making than she'd like to admit. She'd used up a lot of magic for someone who hadn't eaten anything in almost a full day, and she'd heard Link's stomach rumbling as much as her own. Coming to a decision, she unwound her fingers from Link's fur, reaching for the gown.

"If you'd turn around," she said coolly, standing up and holding the clothes in front of her. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her completely naked and vulnerable multiple times, of course, but it was the principle of the thing.

He smirked and leaned back against the doorframe, just out of range of Link's chain. "No."

Somehow, she'd known he was going to say that. Ignoring the feeling of his eyes on her, she pulled the gown on; a simple thing and comfortable, not needing any corsets or petticoats. It laced in the back, as was the fashion lately, and she sighed, turning her back to Ganondorf to be laced up. It took all of her discipline to refrain from shuddering as she felt his hands pulling the lacing through the eyelets.

Link had enough self control not to lunge at them… although a large amount of that was the realization that while he could hit Zelda, Ganondorf was still out of range. He hated seeing his hands on her, hated the way Ganondorf stared at him with that knowing smirk. The growl that had been low in his throat from the beginning was getting louder, almost a snarl now.

"Come, my dear Zelda," Ganondorf said. "There is someone to see you." He set his hand on her waist to guide her out, and she went tense, barely managing to keep from jerking away. After a moment, she took a deep breath and forced herself to relax some, allowing him to lead her out, leaving Link behind, looking absolutely miserable.

"Might I enquire as to where we are going?" Zelda asked, preceding him down the stairs.

"Link has a letter," Ganondorf said in an exasperated enough tone to make Zelda pause and look back at him.

"A letter."

"Yes, and a package."

"Wait… you're keeping us prisoner. You're torturing us, starving us, you've turned him into a wolf, for Nayru's sake! And now you're taking his mail deliveries?" It was so absurd that she almost laughed.

He glared and nudged her shoulder so she'd start walking again. "You're taking delivery, actually. And if you're nice enough to me, I'll even let you keep Link's letter."

Before she could retort, she realized they'd reach the bottom of the spiral stairs, the door open. The postman was waiting, pennant flapping proudly in the wind behind him. The sight of him in his ridiculous uniform escalated her sense of the absurd again, and she laughed shortly, right up until she saw the swordbelt strapped across his chest. That wasn't part of the standard uniform… especially since it was the Master Sword in the sheath. She was distracted enough by the sight that she didn't notice at first he was talking.

"… not Mister Link," he frowned.

"Ah… no. Link isn't feeling well at the moment," Zelda said. "But he sent me along to take his letter, with his thanks for your ever efficient service." She smiled brilliantly at him, taking the letter from his still unsure grasp.

It was a deft balance of confidence, charm, and of course being the Princess of Hyrule and therefore above question. The mailman smiled back, unslinging the belt and handing it to her. "And this was sent too. Now I have to make more deliveries, a pleasure to meet you, your highness!"

Zelda was left feeling a little disconcerted, holding a letter addressed to Link in one hand, and the Master Sword and scabbard in the other. Ganondorf's hand closed on her shoulder as the door closed behind the rapidly departing postman, and he plucked the letter from her hand. "Back to my room with that, I think," he said, steering her back to his chambers.

She didn't try to attack. The first time she'd gone after him with the Master Sword she'd had better odds on her side, and there was nothing to be gained in attempting it now. Not to mention the way his fingers and thumb were dug into her shoulder, preventing her from moving it quickly or easily. However… she stopped walking and turned slowly to face him. She raised her arm in front of her and simply let go, the sword clattering to the ground, protected by the scabbard.

He just stared at her, his mouth slightly open as if he couldn't believe she do something so inconvenient. Zelda smiled sweetly at him, pulled out of his grasp, and strode up the stairs. She started to run after she rounded the first bend and was out of sight.

Upstairs, Link's ears pricked as he heard her feet on the stairs and he climbed to his feet, moving towards the door. He whuffed a question at her as she entered, her cheeks pink and breathing hard. She laughed at his quizzical expression and closed the door behind her, coming over to scratch behind his ears. "I've just annoyed him a bit. I didn't expect the look on his face to be that… entertaining. Apparently someone found your sword and decided to mail it to you." Link's tail started to wag hopefully and she shook her head. "No, I couldn't bring it upstairs. But I did drop it on the floor."

For a wolf, his expressions were wonderfully easy to read. He was a little disappointed at first, then confused. All at once, the implications occurred to him and he snorted a laugh, dancing a bit with amusement. The idea of Ganondorf trying to do something as simple as pick up the Master Sword from the ground was highly entertaining. "Of course, he's going to be coming up here once he figures out what to do with it… but if he's going to be unpleasant, at least this time I got some enjoyment out of it as payment."

Their amusement was short-lived, however, as Ganondorf arrived at their room several minutes later. He wasn't quite as towering and imposing as Zelda had expected him to be, and she realized he might actually have been entertained by her stunt. He did enjoy it when she exercised what little power remained to her, after all. Still, the glare he levelled at her was intense and forbidding.

Link growled as he stepped into the room, but Ganondorf just raised a hand, using magic to press him flat to the ground. The wolf struggled and continued to snarl, but couldn't make it over to him. Keeping one hand raised towards Link, Ganondorf strode slowly into the room, eyes fixed on Zelda. She reflexively shifted to the side and stepped back from him, not realizing until too late that this also moved her away from Link.

Ganondorf smiled, not quite as maliciously as he could have been, but Zelda didn't trust that look for a moment. "You know… if you stopped thinking of me as the villain here, you and I would get along so much better. I have simple requests, really… but you two keep refusing them. And then I have to punish you. So you see… all of this is your fault." He stepped forwards, just slightly to the left, and she backed away to the right. "If you would just start cooperating… this would all go so much more pleasantly."

Zelda swallowed, feeling the back of her legs fetch up against the bed. "I don't see how being held captive in my own castle is my fault."

"Oh, but it is," he said, pushing her back onto the bed, crawling over her. He dropped his hand, freeing Link from the floor, but the wolf could only get as far as the end of his chain, well out of reach of the bed. "You and Link… so determined you know what's best, what's right. I am not your enemy, Zelda…"

"Like hell you're not," she snapped, wriggling backwards, trying to keep from being pinned down. Link whined from the floor, his chain scraping across the floor as he shifted uneasily, trying to get to them.

He pressed his hand against her chest, forcing her down into the mattress. "And here you are refusing to listen again. I..." he paused, leaning down, his lips brushing against her ear, "am not…" against her neck this time, just a hint of teeth behind the caress. "your enemy. I wanted Hyrule for myself. While this was not my original scheme… I find the situation acceptable. You can keep your title, Zelda. You're under my power, which means whatever is yours is mine."

His hands caressed over her body, keeping her pressed down against the bed as he spoke. "I now own Hyrule, and you, and Link. I have everything I desire… and we are on the same side." His hand slid down over her hip, under her skirt. "Despite how hard the both of you keep fighting against it. We want the same thing, Zelda… how long until you realize that?"

"Pretty sure you want something I don't right now," she growled, trying to twist away from him.

"I could make this pleasant for you," he offered, keeping her pinned down with one hand and readying himself with the other. It took only a couple of strokes to bring him to full hardness, then his hand went back to her body, now running over her hip.

Breaking the two of them was proving to be the most enjoyable experience he'd ever had. Originally, he'd intended to quickly strip them of their sections of the Triforce and kill them, but there was no simple way to go about it, not without their goddess given gifts returning to the ether. However, possessing the two of them worked nearly as well, giving him access to the whole Triforce… and with a highly entertaining hobby on the side. Even the simplest act of depriving them of food or clothing, or Link of his humanity was satisfying. He could see the change in them daily. Link was the easiest to read, of course, the peasant had never needed to learn courtly graces, or a politician's cool exterior. The boy was remarkably brave and strong-willed, and on his own, Ganondorf doubted he'd ever be able to break him to his will. Zelda was the key to him, protecting and caring for her allowed him to stay sane, but it also gave Link a vulnerability, a way to hurt him.

Zelda required different tactics… she was wiser and cleverer than Link, and keeping his plans ahead of her was a stimulating effort. She could be his match as a mage, although her skills lay in different disciplines, and she had literally trained for her job as ruler of Hyrule her entire life. However, she could eventually be won over, given the proper amount of leverage and training. Link worked just as well to put pressure on her as she did for him, and she had a deep sense of loyalty to every other inhabitant of her kingdom as well. She was also managing to hold up surprisingly well under everything he'd been doing to her so far. Keeping Link with her was giving them both strength, even as they became an exploitable weakness for the other.

Of course, all subtlety aside, fucking her was immensely pleasurable too. Especially when she glared up at him with as much disgust and anger as she could manage, saying, "I think I'd rather the pain."

"That works too," he said, his smile going hard and cruel. He yanked the skirt up around her waist, grabbed her thighs, and dragged her forwards onto his lap. She squirmed, trying to pull away from him, then switched tactics and lunged forwards, her hand flat, fingers held tightly together.

She missed, her nails digging into his stomach. He reached down, his hand grasping hers in a crushingly tight grip just as her fingers touched the open wound on his chest. Even if he hadn't caught her hand, she wouldn't have been able to do more than brush the edges of it. That glow, while it was a beacon of vulnerability, was also a warning sign for the raw Triforce power running through it, and it burned excruciatingly to the touch.

"Brave, but foolish," he said, holding up her hand to look at it. There was no visible damage, although from the stifled whimpering sounds she made, it was plenty painful. "You don't think Din would leave me that vulnerable, do you?"

Alright, maybe that HAD been a mistake. Zelda pulled her hand free of Ganondorf's crushing grip, her fingers trembling. Her hand was somewhere between painful and numb, a reaction she should have expected from trying to touch raw magical energy. She was too distracted to realize that Ganondorf's hand was back on her leg again until it was too late to pull away.

It was not a simple thing to enter someone so much smaller and unenthused with the proceedings. He licked a finger on his free hand, sliding it in to her entrance. She yelped, trying to pull away, so he added a second, pumping a couple of times to encourage her body to prepare itself. If she were properly aroused, it wouldn't be necessary… but since she'd been so against the idea, he was hardly doing this for her benefit.

She was still incredibly tight around him, but now he was able to ease his head inside of her with a contented groan, his hand supporting his shaft until he was buried more deeply into her. He knew it hurt, knew her sensitive flesh was tearing around his intrusion. Her body tried to compensate for his roughness, but the damage was already done as he pushed his cock relentlessly forward into her body.

Zelda cried out, pushing against his chest with her hands, even though she knew it wouldn't do anything. His cock felt like it was on fire inside her, burning with every tiny movement. She whimpered as he pulled out, trying to suppress her pained reactions for Link's sake. She could hear him shifting around on the floor, soft whimpers interspersed with low growls as he strained miserably towards the bed. There was no suppressing the yelp when Ganondorf drove his whole length back into her though, her body screaming in protest at his size and harshness.

Ganondorf started to speed up, getting into a solid rhythm. It was easier to move inside her now, although she didn't seem to be enjoying it any more than she had been. "Someday… you are going to want this," he said, his voice harsh as he pounded into her, his breathing coming faster. "You are going to come to me willingly… and you are… both… going… to want this." He wrapped his arms around Zelda, one hand on her arm, the other on her hip, and turned around so he was sitting on the bed, Zelda in his lap, leaning forwards on his chest.

It hadn't occurred until just now to Link that Ganondorf had any interest in him at all. He'd just assumed he was being kept around as entertainment… he hadn't realized what kind of entertainment the man might want out of him. His ears went flat back against his skull, tail tucked down under his haunches as he crouched on the floor, his mind still working over the implications with increasing horror.

"Leave him out of this!" Zelda gasped, trying to pull away from him, one hand reaching for his face, fingers hooked into claws.

He caught her hands and forced them together, his one much larger hand easily able to pin hers together at the wrists. His other hand cupped under her ass, lifting and lowering her on his shaft as his hips thrust up into her. "Planning to keep him all to yourself?" he mocked. "We've been over this… if it's yours… it is mine!"

This time, when Zelda felt his thrusts growing erratic, she didn't waste energy being disgusted, she was just glad it meant it was almost over. She cried out as his teeth sank into her shoulder, a new counterpoint of pain as he started to cum. He pulled out at the end, his seed splashing and smearing over her legs, on the skirts and up onto her chest, not quite getting on her face.

Abruptly she was falling off of his lap as Ganondorf stood up, pushing her at Link. She hit the floor hard, a flare of pain in her hip making her gasp. Link nosed worriedly at her before lunging at Ganondorf, who was already well outside his reach at the door. The wolf snarled at him, warning him away, although Ganondorf could see fear in his body now instead of just anger. "Until next time," he said, smiling pleasantly. "Ah. And your payment, as agreed." He reached just around the corner for a small basket of food, setting it on the floor inside the door before leaving. Link's letter was even sitting under an apple, one edge of the envelope conspicuously opened.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews! Helloyesiamcucoo- Thank you so much, I'm glad you like how I've written them. UnNi, you can't imagine how happy it makes me to get your review every chapter._

"Alright, ready?" Zelda asked, sitting on the floor wrapped in a quilt, with Link's letter in her hands. Link was curled around her, trying to focus on the parchment, but somehow wolfish eyes didn't seem to read as easily. They were both currently feeling in fairly good spirits, Link was surprised at how quickly things seemed better on a full stomach. He whimpered excitedly and nuzzled at her arm.

She chuckled and pushed playfully at his nose, cold on her bare skin. While it was nice to have something to wear again, she'd stripped it off the moment Ganondorf had left, scrubbing clean all evidence of his enjoyment. Hence the quilt and picnic on the floor while the dress dried.

"Dear Link," she began. "We were so glad to hear that Renado saw you at the castle! He told us when he came back from Castletown after Princess Zelda's speech. After your big fight with the Twilight creatures when the castle was destroyed, I said we had to go look for you. The others were afraid, but Ilia said we should go too, so me and Ilia and Beth went out to see what we could find, one of the Gorons came too to protect us. You weren't there, but Epona was, and so was your sword and your shield. The Goron said he'd fix the shield but he didn't want to touch the sword so I took it.

"Boy, was Ilia mad. She said this was worse than anything you'd ever done to her and that you shouldn't ever get to see Epona again. She used lots of potions so Epona could get up and walk really slow, but she says you should have taken better care of her. Epona's doing okay now, Ilia takes her to the spring every day to get better, but she still can't run yet.

Ilia says we should take her home to Ordon, so we're gonna pack up and go home. I think Malo is going to stay here in Kakariko with his shop, but me and Ilia and Beth and Talo are going to go back home. I hope you have fun living with the Princess, everybody says she's really nice and really pretty. You should visit someday, but maybe don't talk to Ilia.

Your friend, Colin."

Link was completely overcome with both joy and homesickness, a strange mixture of bitter and sweet. There had been no time to check on his friends after banishing the darkness from Kakiriko and Death Mountain, he'd just had to hope they stayed there and were safe. He wriggled happily, nosing playfully at Zelda's side, not even noticing that she was trying to push him away until she actually grabbed his nose. "Hold still, you silly beast. There's more."

Zelda had been thrilled for Link's sake as she read the letter. She knew how much that horse had meant to him, and it was wonderful to hear that his friends from his hometown were still alive and well. She was less pleased, however, to see the clear, careful child's printing end and a much bolder script begin, in fresher ink. "I am pleased to see that your horse survived, Link. She was a valiant opponent, worthy of being your steed. To ensure that she, and her escort of children, return safely to Ordon, I will personally send one of my own warrior cousins to protect them."

This time, Link just looked up at her with a horrified expression on his face. The idea that Ganondorf knew about his friends from Ordon was bad enough. That he was sending a handpicked, probably fanatically loyal soldier to watch them was a terrifying notion.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Link," Zelda said as firmly as she could. "If he's sending a cousin, that means one of the Gerudo bandits. And while they might be vicious, powerful warriors, they don't hurt children." Kidnap them and raise them in their own tribe on occasion, but never kill them outright.

Hyrule had always had a rocky relationship with the Gerudo nation. They'd had peaceful spells over the centuries, but the Gerudo were proud women, set in their ways and fiercely independent. Between their own stubbornness and the resistance of the closer residents of Hyrule, they kept mainly to the desert and wastelands west of the country. Mostly, they made minor incursions and raids, subjugating the Bulbins who lived in the desert, kidnapping human men whenever they needed to increase their numbers. No one was sure why so few Gerudo babies were born male, but it certainly made them a unique culture.

Zelda thought she'd seen a couple of Gerudo warriors moving around in the rapidly rebuilding castle, helping with the construction. They were a full head above the average Hylian male, but her subjects seemed to be happy for their help rather than worried. Still, she'd like to be out there with them, making sure the new alliance was being well accepted, doing her job. And if Ganondorf had sent one of the Gerudo warriors off to Ordon with Link's group of friends, there was no telling where else he'd dispatched them, or with what orders.

"Don't worry about that," Zelda said. "There's nothing we can do from in here anyway. Just remember that they're alive, and heading home." She reached down, stroking his head lightly. Link closed his eyes and sighed, trying to just concentrate on his full belly and Zelda's fingers in his fur, and ignore all of these things he could do nothing about.

The worst part about being a wolf, Link decided, was being unable to talk to Zelda. Although, being chained to the floor ran a very close second. He badly wanted to talk to her, about his friends, his horse, the country, these mysterious Gerudo warriors he knew almost nothing about… and he just wanted to reassure her, to tell her he was here for her… and by all the gods, he wanted to hold her in his arms.

He pressed his head against her side, trying to be as close to her as possible. It wasn't enough for her, he could feel the tension in her body, holding herself rigid so she wouldn't feel as vulnerable. But wolf bodies weren't made to offer comfort the same way a human could. Wolves could mate, of course, but love and kindness weren't part of it at all. It was all business to a wolf, like it was for most animals, and Link didn't want to think about what his claws and teeth would do to Zelda's skin, no matter how careful he tried to be. And the last thing Zelda needed was more pain, even with the best of intentions.

So he cuddled as hard as he could, wishing there was something more to do to pass the time or make her feel better. Or both, both would be good.

There was nothing to do. No conversations to be had, no gazing out at Castletown's industry, no books to read or clothes to mend or sword to practice with… nothing. With such a drastic amount of nothing, Link settled down to doze again, an uneasy rest interrupted by worries about his Ordon friends and Zelda.

The day passed achingly slowly. Zelda got up a few times to stretch and stare out the window, and Link would pace restlessly for a while. He hated the way the chain dragged on the ground though, so he never moved around for long. She'd always come back to him eventually, kneeling down beside the cold fireplace, and Link would curl about her, his head on her lap or her feet. They'd nap for a while, until something drove them to pacing again, but the real restlessness didn't come about until after sunset.

It was worse in the dark.

It wasn't bad at first, while Zelda was able to sleep, but the nightmares started in pretty quickly. Link licked her cheek, nosing her to wake her up. She woke up with a gasp, flailing and shoving him away reflexively before realizing where she was. He whimpered softly, and she reached out for him apologetically, burying her face in his fur. The desire to talk to her, reassure her, ask about the dream was an actual pain in his throat. A strained whimper escaped as he yearned to say something, anything.

He'd thought having a wolf's senses would make the night less intimidating. And when he was free, out in the wilds, it did. But here, trapped in a room he was unable to escape, with a traumatized princess he was helpless to aid, the dark seemed as scary as it ever had when he was a child. It wasn't that he was afraid of something sneaking up on them, he knew the room was empty and secure as only a jail cell could be. It was more that the mind could wander, and imagination seemed to have no bounds. Everything seemed possible, and the darker the thought, the clearer it was.

Ganondorf would keep them as pets. Keep him like this, so he could offer just enough comfort to keep Zelda trying to be strong, so he could keep breaking her over and over. Trot her out to perform for the masses, then back into his bed again, until she was too tired, too fragile and brittle and she couldn't pull herself back together again, no matter how soft his fur was or how eagerly he licked her cheek.

And when he wasn't worried about her, it was about this mysterious Gerudo warrior tracking the Ordon children south. He knew Talo would be pretending to protect everyone, knew gentle Colin would actually be trying to keep them safe. And poor Ilia… she'd only just started to remember again, and it made him sick to realize how furious she must be with him, and for good reason. There had to be something he could do to improve the situation.

Well, there was.

He just wasn't sure if he was strong enough.

By the next morning, Link was determined it had to be done, no matter how much the idea troubled him. Zelda pulled herself upright at first light, shuffling to the window and staring out at the growing light, trying to lose herself in the simple beauty of a sunrise. He looked at her slender body, her tension visible even through the gown she'd pulled on the previous evening, at the way her eyes were blank, reflecting the sun's rise. It had taken half the night to talk himself into it, but seeing her look so tired, so vulnerable, his resolve hardened.

Maybe Ganondorf was just eager to come taunt them some more, or maybe the sunrise woke him and he just felt like checking in. Whatever the reason, Link's ears pricked as soon as he heard the heavy tread on the stairs, and he moved to sit between the door and the bed. Zelda didn't notice his approach until several moments later, and just stayed at the window, her fingers tightening in her skirts.

The door was unbarred and swung in slowly. Ganondorf was there, a slow smile on his face as he looked at Zelda, silhouetted in the sunrise by the window. He didn't even notice Link at first until the wolf gave a soft whine. Looking down with a curious frown, Ganondorf took in the unusual behavior of the dog.

Link's ears were laid just enough back to be submissive, not flat to his skill in fear. He crawled forwards, belly brushing the floor, his tail low and wagging softly. He stopped at Ganondorf's feet, whining again as he stood most of the way up, ears pricking forward in a friendly greeting.

When Ganondorf reached out his hand curiously, Link flinched ever so slightly, repressing the urge to run, duck, or bite. Instead he leaned forward, nosing lightly at his fingertips, licking softly at his palm before he talked himself out of it. "Well… it appears you've learned some manners after all," he said in a pleased tone. "I thought your natural pride would keep you a snarling beast for far longer."

Zelda was watching with astonishment, her mouth slightly open as she turned half away from the window. There had been no way for Link to tell her what he was planning, of course, which meant these preceedings had taken her totally by surprise. She could tell Link wasn't entirely happy, the way his ears flattened and his tail tucked down around his legs as Ganondorf stroked him from nose to tail. But he held still anyway, determined to see it through.

Ganondorf wondered if it disturbed the wolf to be petted by him as much as it would disturb the boy. There was plenty of time to experiment with that though, for now… "Bad dogs get punished, as you're well aware," he said, still stroking the thick ruff of fur around Link's neck. "But you… you're being quite good today, aren't you?"

He smiled as Link licked his fingers again, less hesitation in his manner this time. Ganondorf knew what he was begging for. Nothing else would make the hero bend quite as quickly as fear for someone else and an inability to help them. "If I release that spell… you're going to have to keep behaving. Keep doing as I say. You understand that? Otherwise it'll be right back to a dog for you, and I'll chain you to my bed this time."

It was easier as long as he was thinking as a wolf. It was perfectly natural for his wolf self to whine and lick and try to please an alpha, as long as he could keep his human feelings out of it. He did wish Ganondorf would stop petting him, though, the caress was uncomfortably familiar. He whined appealingly at Ganondorf's threat, licking his hand again and nodding awkwardly. Wolf necks weren't meant for a human nod, although it was close enough.

"Very well," he said, drawing out the twilight gem from a pouch on his belt. "Princess, a little touch of magic, if you please." Link sneezed as he felt the twilight curse leave him, then glanced over his shoulder at Zelda. She seemed to be a little bit in shock, but a moment later, Link felt the now-familiar touch of her magic on him. As long as he'd been wielding the Master Sword, transforming back into a human had been something he could do himself once Midna withdrew the gem. Now, though, he needed another source of light.

Link sighed in delight as he felt his body shift forms, although he was compelled to remain kneeling due to Ganondorf's heavy hand on the back of his neck. He was faintly surprised to see gauntlets on his hands replacing the manacle, feel the weight of his chainmail and warmth of the tunic on his body, although it wasn't that big of a shock. He'd gained the clothing the first time after changing back from a wolf, after all. Pity he'd been disarmed before being cursed, though, none of his weaponry reappeared with his clothing.

The moment Ganondorf's hand eased up on his head, Link scrambled on unsteady feet towards Zelda, pulling her against his chest, burying his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I haven't been here for you…"

"Not your fault," she whispered, leaning against him, her body trembling again. It was such a relief to have his hands on her body again, so gentle and careful, his arms sheltering her. She couldn't think of a more comfortable place to be, chainmail digging into her ribs and all. "You did your best."

"This is touching," Ganondorf interjected dryly. "However… it is also quite dull. Link, time to do some obedience training."

It took a lot of effort for Link to keep his voice and expression neutral, almost as much for him to stay polite. "Please… not until we've had something to eat. It's been a… a long night."

"Very well," Ganondorf said with a smile. "I'll send something up directly. Talk all you want, feel free to weep and complain… but the clothes stay on." He reached out, his hand running softly down Zelda's back, brushing caressingly light over Link's arms around her. "At least until I come back."


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your feedback! Here, have an early chapter that decided it had to be written RIGHT NOW. Contains heavy NSFW content, but nothing that anyone ought to find too disturbing._

Breakfast did arrive, courtesy of a blushing maid who curtsied briefly and ran out of the room when Link tried to speak with her, her cheeks bright red. He was too hungry to be perturbed by her shyness, although Zelda laughed a bit as she picked up a pastry. "You do cut quite the fierce, heroic figure dressed like that, Link," she said. "You have a fan."

"But I… I just said good morning!" he protested. "I did, right, I didn't bark or anything?"

She laughed and kissed his cheek. It surprised her just how much better she felt having him back to normal, with even one bite of food in her stomach. "No, no barking." The small assortment of rolls and pastries was demolished in quick order, sitting on the bed and looking out the window. They were standing there now, Link's arm across Zelda's shoulders just because he could.

It really was progressing well. Zelda could recognize the great hall, the numerous wings of housing for guests, residents, and servants, the store rooms and even the library, although what shape any of the books would be in was debatable. "I want to be down there," she sighed. "I should be helping with this, at least organizing and arranging for deliveries and payments…"

"You will be soon," Link said, squeezing her shoulders softly and kissing her forehead. "We'll get you back on your throne. You know, once they build it." Even if she had to share her kingdom, it would be better than being locked in this tower.

Zelda laughed softly and leaned into him, turning her head to kiss him lightly, just below his ear. She felt his breath catch and his arm tighten around her just slightly. Shifting her body so she was facing into him, she kissed him again, a little lower on his neck this time.

He didn't bother asking if she was sure, the way her body pressed against his was pretty clear on that point. His other arm wrapped around her back as her lips trailed down his neck. After the nightmarish last couple of days, standing here in the soft warm sunlight felt like a dream, or maybe like waking up from one. All he knew was that he was finally back to himself, and Zelda wanted him as badly as he did her.

She reached up to him, her hand cupping the back of his neck as she kissed him. He liked that she was his height, although since she was in bare feet he had an extra inch on her today. It wasn't as if she'd never kissed him before, or like he'd never touched her body, but somehow it was different now. The addition of clothes actually seemed erotic, feeling the warmth of her body through the cotton of the dress.

Zelda's hand slid up his chest and pushed him back to sit on the bed. It was a delight to have Link back to himself, to have a full belly, and she had no problem with ignoring the worry that Ganondorf would be back eventually. She was here now, and so was Link, and she was more than ready to have some pleasure of her own instead of her body being used so callously. She hiked up her skirts and knelt over his lap, kissing him deeply.

Link moaned lightly as Zelda's tongue trailed across his lips, her fingers caressing the length of his ears, brushing through his hair. His hands ran down her sides, fingers fanning over her hips. He barely noticed when she pushed him backwards until he was laying back on the bed, her hands to either side of his head. She hadn't stopped kissing him once, and he wondered if she was getting as dizzy as he was. Not that he would ever ask her to stop, of course. He reached up, his fingers running through her silken hair, feeling it fall forward and lay in a curtain all around him.

They were both too engrossed to notice Ganondorf's approach, and indeed he was being absolutely silent. He eased the door open, and leaned carefully on the door frame to watch, a slow smile spreading across his face as his hand dropped down to stroke his already hardening length. Even when she was displaying all the lust of a common whore, Zelda managed to maintain dignity and strength while she was doing it, which was one of the reasons he enjoyed her so much.

From the sounds Link was making as she bent gracefully over him, he felt much the same way. Ganondorf watched as Zelda went from kissing his mouth to his neck, and he was fascinated by the way Link's head tilted back, exposing his throat so willingly to her. His skin was a shade hair darker than hers, from spending his whole life in the sun, giving just a bit of contrast. Against his own skin, he doubted they'd look different from each other at all.

He wondered at first if she was already riding him, but when she rolled off of him to the side, he could see Link's pants were still in place… although distended from the arousal contained within. Zelda stayed sitting beside him for a moment, kissing him again, then grinned and laid back, beckoning him on top of her.

Link was hard enough to hurt by the time Zelda shifted off of him, and he stood up, turning to face her eagerly. Or at least he was eager until he caught sight of Ganondorf leaning casually against the wall, his hand stroking over himself with that smirk of his firmly in place. "You! How long have you been there?" Link demanded. On the bed below him, Zelda twisted to see what was behind her, all the colour draining from her face.

"Long enough," he said in a low, pleased tone. "By all means… please continue."

"We aren't here to put on a show for you," Zelda said, just the barest hint of a tremble in her voice.

Ganondorf smiled again. "You are if I say you are. But if you would prefer, I could just take over now." He squeezed himself, hips thrusting forwards lewdly to punctuate his words.

Link leaned protectively over Zelda, grabbing her hand. "I didn't say that. I don't want you hurting her."

"Then why don't you have your fun," he said, his voice almost a purr. "And when she's been well used and prepared, perhaps it won't be such an ordeal for her, hmm?"

Gods, it would make it easier, Zelda thought to herself. And since she had no doubt Ganondorf was indeed going to entertain himself whether she wanted him to or not, the idea of it wasn't a bad one. The question was, then, would Link be able to go through with it? He'd just gotten used to the idea of sex with her as it was, and having an audience had clearly deflated his readiness.

Alright, she was _not_ going to be cheated out of her pleasure at this point in the proceedings. Zelda sat up on the edge of the bed, reaching one hand up to Link's head, pulling him down to kiss him again. He wasn't exactly reluctant, but his body was stiff in all the wrong places and none of the right ones. Well, she'd just have to remedy that. "Don't look at him," she murmured, pulling away from the kiss just enough to look sternly at him. "Only at me." She slid her fingers up into his hair, dislodging his hat and setting it on the bed beside them. Her thumb rubbing lightly along the lower length of his ear, she pulled him down to kiss her again.

It was a lot harder to enjoy Zelda's company with Ganondorf in the room. At least he was being quiet, though, and as long as his eyes were closed or focused entirely downwards, he could mostly pretend he wasn't there. The way Zelda's hand felt, grabbing his tunic and pulling him forwards helped. He fell onto the bed above her, feeling her shift backwards just a bit so he could crawl fully onto it, ending up over her on his hands and knees. She took his hand and set it lightly on her breast before her own hands moved down to undo his belt, sliding it off of his waist.

His hand moved reflexively, his fingers shifting over the soft swell. Zelda made a soft, pleased sound under him and he felt his length stirring to life again. He leaned down, kissing her throat softly, working his way down to her collarbone, his hand squeezing the softness of her breast slightly.

Zelda moaned quietly, her body arching up against his. "Yes, Link…" she murmured, her hands slipping up under his tunic, cool on the hot skin of his belly. He slid his hands under her back, undoing the loosely tied lacing of her dress, letting her pull her arms free of it when she was ready. She didn't seem inclined to take her hands off his body anytime soon, though, her fingers trailing up onto his back, teasing down his spine.

Link shivered at her light, tickling touch, pulling her dress down just enough to expose the breast he was playing with. It occurred to him that he'd never touched her like this in the daylight before… while her body was familiar under his hands, the colour of her skin was fascinating, the tinge of pink in her cheeks delightful. He dipped his head down, licking lightly at her bright pink nipple and was rewarded by her gasp and the spread of the pink from her cheeks down her neck.

Her hands reached the waistband of his pants, untying the cord. She slid one hand inside, and she smiled to hear his groan as her fingers wrapped around him. Any temporary problems he'd been having were certainly gone now. Vaguely, she could hear Ganondorf shifting around the edge of the room to get a better angle on them, but refused to let it bother her. It's not as if she had anything to hide that he hadn't already seen and thoroughly explored, after all, though she felt a little badly for Link.

The hero, though, had decided that at this point he didn't care if Ganondorf watched or not. Being shy would only make it seem that he had something to hide, and he was determined to not let the Gerudo shame him anymore. Plus, Zelda's hand felt so good on him that he could hardly think straight anyways beyond wanting to be inside her. He shifted his weight so he was kneeling between her legs, and slid his arms up her legs, bunching the dress up around his arms. Pausing, he looked questioningly down at Zelda to see if she wanted him to leave it there, but she shook her head minutely, arching herself off the bed and raising her hands above her head so he could slide the dress the rest of the way off.

"You are beautiful in the light…" Link murmured, looking down at her as he lay the dress almost reverently beside her. He'd seen her bare plenty over the last little while, of course, but never like this, flushed with pleasure, her body open to him with her legs on either side of his. There was a faint rumble of agreement from Ganondorf, and while it made Link shiver, he didn't pause this time as he leaned down over Zelda, one hand sliding up the outside of her thigh, the other resting just beside her head as he bent down to kiss her.

She kissed him back eagerly, her legs shifting a bit more apart as her hands reached for his hips, pulling him down against her. Link moved his hand from her thigh to her core, loving the sound she made when his fingers slid across her wetness, her body clearly ready for him. He positioned himself and slowly entered her, groaning softly at the feel of her body around him.

Zelda arched up against him, her hands scrabbling across his back, pulling him down into her. He resisted just enough to be slow about sinking into her, groaning softly as he finally buried his length. Slowly, he started to thrust into her, marvelling in the feeling of her wet slickness. She squirmed under him, encouraging him to go deeper with her hands on his back, pulling him down against her.

Link was getting hot as he drove into her, speeding up to her encouragements. It occurred to him that he'd never done this with clothing on, and was surprised at how overly warm he was getting. He jumped at the feel of hands on the hem of his layers of shirts, at the low voice saying in his ear, "These come off now." His rhythm faltered as Ganondorf lifted his tunic and chainmail over his head, although the feel of Zelda's much smaller hands running up his bare chest helped to re-orient himself. He started to move inside her again as the fabric pulled free from his head, and he pulled his arms through, leaning down over Zelda as the chainmail dropped to the floor beside them.

Ganondorf lay down on the other side of the bed, propping his head on one hand while the other lazily stroked himself. He quite liked the way they looked, a bare two feet away from him as Link drove into Zelda, making her whimper with pleasure. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch either of them... that could come later, once they were more accustomed to their roles. For now, watching the faint lines Zelda's nails left in his back, the sweat beading on Link's skin as he increased the pace… just observing was perfectly enjoyable.

He licked his lips as Zelda arched up against Link, crying out in pure pleasure, her fingers digging into his back, spurring him to greater speeds. "Come inside of her, Link," he said softly, delighting in the way the boy shuddered at his words. "Do it."

The last think Link wanted to was obey Ganondorf's orders at this point in time, but he was so close anyways, and Zelda was clinging to him, making those delightful whimpering moans. Before he could try and stop himself, he was coming, driving himself as deeply inside of her as he could, leaning down to bite her shoulder softly to muffle his groans. Zelda clung to him, kissing his neck and shoulder, tongue running over his skin. Slowly, he straightened up, shuddering, looking down at her.

"My turn, I think," Ganondorf said, grinning. Link's arms wrapped protectively around Zelda, but she reached up to kiss his cheek reassuringly, pushing him up and off of her. She moaned softly as he pulled out of her, and sat up, looking a bit dizzy. Ganondorf reached for her, his hand curling around her waist, pulling her across the bed as he rolled to his back. He picked her bodily up, setting her down kneeling over his hips. She gasped softly as his length pressed against her slick folds, and Link scrambled towards them. Zelda reached back towards him and he clasped her hand, kneeling beside her.

Ganondorf lifted her hips again, sliding her up his length and pressing her body down onto himself. "Oh, well done, Link," he groaned, feeling himself slide into her far more easily than he ever had. Zelda whimpered as he entered her, but her voice never hit the shrill tone of real pain.

For Link, the situation had moved from dreamlike straight through to surreal. He was glad that Zelda wasn't hurting… but was also bizarrely jealous about it. Giving her pleasure was his job, and while she didn't really seem to be enjoying herself at the moment, she wasn't hating it either. Spurred by some impulse that might have been pride or might just have been lust, he shifted forwards on the bed, sliding his hand up Zelda's arm and down her back. He reached around to her front, his fingers lightly cupping her breast as his other hand rested on her thigh.

Zelda gasped as Link's hands shifted on her body. She'd intended to just coast through until Ganondorf was done, as usual, but when Link's fingers rubbed lightly over her skin, a shock of pleasure ran through her. She bit back a soft moan, but both of them noticed anyways.

Ganondorf's hands tightened on her hips slightly, shifting the angle he was driving up into her. Link glared down at him as Zelda gasped in response. The boy stretched up on his knees, tilting his head to kiss her neck, both hands cupping her breasts now. She cried out as Link's fingers played over her sensitive skin, her head tilting to the side as his tongue ran up her neck to her ear.

He groaned as he thrust up into her, feeling her body clench around him as Link's teeth delicately nipped at her ear. His hands dug into her hips, probably hard enough to bruise, but her moans were of pleasure rather than pain as Link kissed and nipped at her neck.

She couldn't believe Link was reacting this way. Not that she was complaining, exactly, but she'd expected him to slink back into a corner as far away as he could get from Ganondorf. Instead, he'd just swung a leg over one of Ganondorf's, pressing his body right up behind hers as he did everything he apparently could to make her succumb to raw pleasure.

Link's attention was mostly on Zelda, on the way her body twisted and shifted under his hands, her rich, heady scent permeating the air, her soft skin flushed under his hands, a darker pink where his mouth had been. She was making soft moaning sounds every time Ganondorf slammed her hips down onto his, her hands flexing and rubbing on her thighs, trying to hold onto something, slipping back to brush over Link's legs, then back to her own.

The Gerudo increased his pace, his own breathing labored, warm from still wearing his clothing despite the vigorous activity. He was close, so close… he looked down at Zelda, her beautiful skin flushed, her hands now reaching up behind her head, fingers tangling in Link's hair. The hero glanced up from her body, locking eyes with him.

His gaze narrowed as he saw the lust clouding Ganondorf's heavy-lidded gaze, saw the tension in his neck and body. Suddenly determined that he wouldn't get to finish without Zelda getting her pleasure first, Link dropped his hand down to make sure it happened. He expected it to take at least a little rubbing, but Zelda screamed with delight the moment he touched her, her body arching back against his, her fingers tightening in his hair to the painful point.

Below her, Ganondorf thrust up into her twisting, tight body, spilling his seed deep inside her with an almost animalistic groan of pleasure. This was better than forcing them, either of them. He hadn't expected Link's cooperation… and from the defiant yet unsettled look on his face, the boy hadn't expected it either. A most pleasant surprise, and an excellent development.

Yes, things were progressing nicely.


	14. Chapter 14

"There now… see how much more pleasant this can be for the two of you?" Ganondorf said in a not quite patronizing tone. He reached forward, his hand stroking through Zelda's hair. She just shifted slightly, laying back exhausted against Link's chest. The boy's arms tightened around her when Ganondorf's fingers brushed down his chest, but he didn't quite flinch away.

Link did back away when Ganondorf grabbed Zelda around the middle, though, lifting her carefully off of him and laying her down on the bed. She looked as if she didn't really want to be moved around like some sort of doll, but she didn't appear to have the ability to sit up under her own power at the moment, something which made Ganondorf grin and Link worry. "You mean this is the first time she's been fucked into unconsciousness? Link, I'm disappointed in you. She deserves better, don't you think?"

"You keep your nose out of it!" Link snapped, lunging towards him, hands outstretched. It had been a strange but acceptable situation while she was actually awake, taking part. Now though, she was clearly exhausted, fighting to keep her eyes open, and he was tired of his slander. Zelda made a soft sound of protest when Ganondorf snatched Link out of midair, trying to convince her impossibly heavy limbs to move.

He grabbed the boy by the arms, wrenching them up above Link's head. He sat up, bending him backwards over his lap. "Now Link, that's hardly called for…"

"What gives you the right to… to torment us like this?" he spat, twisting in his grip, trying to work his legs out from the awkward position to kick him.

"This." Ganondorf said, pinning Link's knee in place with his free hand, bending his arms back until the hero cried out, helpless. "Do you think I _want_ to hurt you, Link?" he asked, sounding almost hurt.

Link couldn't move, could barely breathe, but managed a disbelieving snort. He whimpered softly as Ganondorf bent him back just a bit farther, feeling something twang painfully in his side. "You should stop making me have to hurt you. We were having such a pleasant time until now… wasn't that so much nicer than this?" He yanked his arms back sharply, making Link yelp breathlessly.

Not actually wanting to cause him damage, Ganondorf decided that was enough of a lesson. He let go of him, shoving him sideways onto the bed, watching coolly as Link painfully drew his arms down against his chest. "If you two are determined to continue fighting me, I will continue hurting you. I don't want that, but if it is necessary…" He grinned slowly as he stood up, arranging his clothing properly. "Well, I'll just have to deal with it, won't I?"

Zelda pushed herself up tiredly, running a hand over Link's shoulder soothingly. "I'm sure we can come to some sort of a… compromise," she said, willing Link to stay quiet. She hated seeing him hurt.

"I'm sure we can," he said, bowing mockingly to her. All they had to do was whatever he told them, after all. They just had to swallow their pride a bit more. "You can start today, in fact. There are some diplomatic circumstances that require dealing with." Because while Ganondorf was extremely good at obtaining and wielding power… the minutiae of keeping a country peaceful was much more Zelda's line of work.

"I'm going to need something more to wear," she said, rubbing at her face, from tiredness rather than tears, he noticed.

"I'll bring by something more suitable," he said, inclining his head. "I assume Link would be happier in what he has now, unless you'd like to don something more… elegant?"

"I'm a farmer and a warrior," Link said flatly, already pulling his tunic back on self-consciously. "Not a noble." He wanted to go with Zelda just to keep an eye on her, support her if she needed it, but he had no idea what he was going to actually do. The closest thing to diplomacy he'd ever dome to was sumo wrestling Gorons, and he doubted that was required in Castletown.

"Good," Ganondorf said, looking downright cheerful. "I'm hoping we can continue to cooperate in such a mutually beneficial way." He let a hint of lewdness colour his words, his grin widening as he left the room.

Link closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, letting out a groan of frustration mixed heavily with embarrassment. Zelda shifted to sit more closely behind him, leaning across his back and hugging him. "It's alright, it's alright, he's gone…"

"For now," Link said, sighing and reaching up to fold his arms over hers, straightening up a little bit but still letting her lean on him. "Oh, goddess, I'm never going to feel clean again…"

Zelda sighed, squeezing him a little. "I know what you mean. But if he stays happy, he won't be trying to find entertainment some other way." She didn't bother to say anything further, they'd both be able to imagine what Ganondorf would do if he got bored . What he might do to them was bad enough, but she wouldn't put it past him to make the rest of Hyrule suffer as well.

"You know what the worst part is?" he sighed, his fingers working between hers, holding her hand against his chest. "The fact that I enjoyed it." Not all of it, of course, but… enough.

"I know. Me too," she said softly, curling against him. But as long as Ganondorf was going to keep them around as toys, she'd rather that they got some occasional pleasure out of it too. Link shifted around on the bed, leaning up against the wall and pulling her against him. Zelda moved her head to his chest, comfortable with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

She dozed for a while, until Ganondorf returned with more clothing for her to wear. She was pleased to see her tooled armor and jewelry on top of the dress, although there was still no crown. When questioned, Ganondorf said, "Oh, I have it. But until I get one, you don't get to wear it."

"I'm surprised you haven't had it reforged to fit you already," she said coolly, pulling on the layers of clothing, Link helping her as an excuse to look anywhere but at Ganondorf.

"The forges were damaged in the battle, along with everything else," he said. Some of the store rooms, the treasury, and the kitchens were all underground, but the forges, stables public areas, most of the storage, and all of the living space were in the castle proper and were currently being rebuilt. "Besides, it would look like a child's toy on me, even altered."

"I suppose that's true," she said, looking up at him. Her late father's crown was heavier than the one she wore and would be a better choice to alter… not that she particularly wanted to crown Ganondorf as a full regent of Hyrule. Certainly not until a much more convincing reason came up. She was still Princess, with or without a crown, and her people would hardly care.

Besides, with the jewelry and gold she had, there would be no doubting her station anyways. "What is the agenda for today?" she asked, braiding her hair swiftly, binding it with a strip of ribbon.

"There are some minor issues with the integration of the Gerudo into Hyrule," he said mildly, opening the door and gesturing for them to precede him. Zelda swept out, Link following in her wake. "In the interests of cooperation, making some sort of treaty makes more sense than letting them fight it out."

"Perhaps you'll make a decent ruler after all," Zelda said, moving quickly down the stairs. Coming to the entrance hall of the tower, she turned back, looking over her shoulder. "How did you move the sword?" she asked with honest curiosity.

"Fire tongs," Ganondorf said, prompting a snort of laugher from Link at the absurdly simple solution. "Don't worry, it's quite secure."

"I have no doubt it is," Zelda said calmly. "Now, where is this meeting of nations taking place?"

"The throne room is still several days from completion," Ganondorf said. "Telma's bar in Castletown was suggested as a neutral location."

"Can I ask why?" Link asked.

"Presumably because she's been a trusted member of the community for years, but she's also Gerudo," Zelda said, opening the door and striding out into the sunlight, lifting her face up to it with a pleased sigh.

"Wait, she is?" Link asked, jogging up to her side.

"You mean the red hair, large frame and aggressiveness with men wasn't a dead giveaway?" Ganondorf said dryly. "Not all Gerudo attain eight feet in height, and skintones range from copper down to ebony. And most, of course, are female."

Well, you learned something new every day. Link kept walking after Zelda, quiet now as he thought about that. Ganondorf was such an… iconic example of his race it hadn't occurred to me what the rest of them looked like. When he entered the bar, there were three Gerudo warriors present, one leaning on the counter as she spoke to Telma. Seeing them together, Link could see the resemblance, although Telma was a handspan shorter than her cousins. She waved cheerily at him. "Hey, honey. Good to see you up and about. Princess, Lord Ganondorf, welcome. Ale's on the house if you want some."

"Business first, Telma," Zelda said with a smile. "But I'm sure we can all have a round to celebrate our cooperation afterwards."

Link had never been much of a drinker, but it wasn't long before he was longing for the end of negotiations and the start of celebrations. Oh, sure, the introduction of the problems was interesting. Apparently a group of Gerudo had decided to go mate hunting. Out on the wild fringes of Hyrule or in the Gerudo Desert, this wasn't uncommon, wasn't even always a problem. Hunters or fishers didn't exactly mind being kidnapped, ravished by multiple women, then released a few days later.

However, in Castletown, it was a large problem, especially since the man in question had been the baker's husband. What Link was surprised by, though, was how quickly something as entertaining and risqué as questionably non-consensual kidnappings could degenerate into completely dry discussion about ancient treaties and intricately worded rights.

He was pretty sure he managed to keep from looking too bored. At least nobody glared at him… really, mostly they just ignored him. Zelda spent a lot of time convincing people to stay calm, she never actually seemed to say anything of her own opinions on the matter. From bits of the conversation he actually focused on, Link gathered that centuries ago, the Gerudo had been a section of the Hylian army assigned to guard the eastern borders, and apparently just stayed there. He supposed that explained why no Hylian monarch ever rode out to chase them off; they were supposed to be there.

There seemed to be an awful lot of repetition of the same things over and over again when you led something, Link decided. His initial thought was right; he was definitely not cut out to rule a country. Even Ganondorf was more focused on the discussion, although since his people were the ones who necessitated the event in the first place, that was to be expected. Still, there were moments where Link actually sympathized with the faintly glazed look that crossed his face from time to time.

Link wasn't sure how much time they were in there, but the sun coming in the small windows was golden and sharply slanting by the time Zelda started scribing an agreement on a roll of parchment Ganondorf produced. The three Gerudo warriors signed it, then Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link jumped slightly when she passed the quill and parchment to him. Flushing slightly, he scrawled his name where she told him to, feeling more than a bit awkward at being included. He supposed that's what Zelda had been getting at in her speech about Hyrule and Ordon and the Gerudo nation being cooperative, he just hadn't really clued in that it meant he really was going to be part of the government.

As soon as he set down the quill, though, Telma declared, "Alright then, first round's on the house!" and came over with mugs full to brimming. Zelda whisked the parchment off the table, rolling it deftly before anything spilled on it, and took one of the mugs unhesitatingly. Finally up to the point of the evening he understood, Link beat Ganondorf's grab for one, toasting the rambunctious warrior to the left of him.

O

"I don't think I'm cut out for diplomacy," Link said on the way back to the tower, rubbing an aching shoulder and weaving slightly. The sun had fully set more than an hour ago, the celebration had lasted almost as long as the negotiations had.

"Well, you shouldn't have challenged Naburia to a wrestling match, especially after four mugs of ale," Zelda said, sounding far more amused than sympathetic.

Link staggered to the side from a heavy blow to his side, and he glared over at Ganondorf, suspecting that he was actually trying to be friendly. "That was the only part of the evening he understood!" Ganondorf chuckled. The man was almost invisible in his black silk, especially contrasted by the two fiery, giggling Gerudo women following him back to the tower.

"I can't believe it, but I think I agree with you," Link muttered.

He almost fell to his knees when Ganondorf's arm draped across his shoulders. "You see how much better we're getting along?" he laughed, not quite picking him up off the ground. "Ah, maybe I'll find some other errand for you to skip the next negotiation."

"He does quite well, in his own way," Zelda pointed out, opening the tower door. "As long as diplomacy can involve wrestling matches, archery targets, or swordfights."

"Wait… I can't tell if you're on my side or not," Link said, peering curiously at her, trying to ignore the laughter from the Gerudo women.

She just laughed, and unwound him from Ganondorf's arm. "I'm always on your side, Link. Let's get you to bed. Lord Ganondorf, Kahlla, Shikoru," she said, performing a flawless curtsey to the three Gerudo and guiding Link up the stairs to their own room.

"I am so glad those two wanted to… ah… keep celebrating," Link said with relief as they wound up the stairs. "I really don't think I could deal with him in that mood."

"What, cheerful?"

"More like… voracious," Link said, leaning on the wall as he climbed. "Goddess, how long _is_ this staircase?"

Zelda slowed down to walk beside him, chuckling softly as she slipped an arm around his waist. "You've learned an important diplomatic lesson today, Link. Never try to out-drink a Gerudo." She was in a good enough mood that she almost didn't even mind the door spelling itself shut behind them as she led Link to the bed, unclipping jewelry as she went.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updating last week. My town was badly hit by the flooding in Alberta, and even once I got home, it's taken a while to demolish the basement and for my muse to get back in gear. I'm perfectly safe, my house just needs new drywall in the basement, and everything should be back to normal. Reading your reviews in the evacuation center gave me something positive and enjoyable to focus on, thank you all so much._

Link awoke with a mild headache, but an unexpectedly optimistic outlook. Zelda was nestled happily in his arms, her bare skin pressed against his, and the best part was that they'd taken off their own clothing, willingly and in private. Something had shifted in their circumstances, and Link couldn't quite pin down what the change had been.

Oh, having privacy and his human form and the beautiful princess naked in his arms were all good things. And last night had been fun, both at Telma's bar with the Gerudo and after, alone together in their room. But that wasn't entirely it. Ganondorf was still holding them captive, after all, still was controlling Hyrule. But it didn't bother him the same way that it had been. And even that thought didn't bother him as much as he thought. He'd still be happier if the man disappeared from their lives, but the situation was almost… acceptable now.

Especially when Zelda stirred in his arms, turning over to face him, kissing the hollow of his neck sleepily. He smiled, his arms tightening slightly around her, and she said softly, "Well, good morning to you too." He'd been hard almost from the moment he woke up, of course, that was just normal. And he'd tried, mostly, to keep from poking her in the back with it. Now, though, she pressed forwards against him, just as eager as she'd been last night.

And he was determined to do a better job, too. He'd been tired and drunk enough that he hadn't been as caring and long-lasting as he would have liked, but at least Zelda didn't seem to be holding it against him. Indeed, she was holding herself against him instead, her leg shifting up over his hip, her body slipping up a bit and her arm pressing his head down against her chest. It was hardly an invitation Link cared to pass up, his lips caressing over her soft, soft skin, one hand coming up to caress her breast.

Her hips pressed forwards, her core rubbing gently along his length, and Link groaned, his length twitching with eagerness. He'd just started to slide into her, eyes closed as he savored the feeling of her body, when the door opened. "Well… is this a private party, or can I join in?" came an unexpectedly cheerful, not at all mocking or embarrassed voice.

Link swore and jerked away from Zelda, tangling up in the quilt as he rolled to see who had entered, Zelda snatching up an edge of the blanket to keep herself covered. Khalla, one of Ganondorf's companions from the night before, was leaning in the doorway with an unabashed look of interest on her face, a platter of breakfast foods balanced easily on one arm.

Zelda sat up, drawing the blanket with her, torn between amusement and sympathy for Link, who buried his face in his pillow and pulled the quilt over his head. "Actually, I think we'll just take breakfast, if you don't mind," she said, managing to sound regal but polite at the same time.

Khalla just smiled cheerfully and walked into the room, bringing a small table with her to set the tray of food on. "Well, you two enjoy yourselves," she said, lightly smacking Link's blanket covered rear with a mischievous grin on her way out. He waited until he heard the door close before peeking out from under the blanket, looking absolutely mortified with his hair all in disarray over his red face.

Zelda was mostly trying not to laugh as she picked up one of the mugs of tea sitting on the table. Link looked at her incredulously, not sure whether to laugh or be embarrassed or furious. "You… what are you smiling at?" he demanded, sitting up and glaring at her as she hid her grin behind her drink.

"I'm sorry… you're just so… you're so cute when you're being shy," she giggled. He loved the sound of her laugh, realized he'd never heard her just purely happy enough to laugh before. Any resentment he had melted away, and a faint grin crossed his face when she pushed some of his wayward hair back off of his forehead. "Now, have some tea before it gets cold."

Ganondorf must have been in a superb mood this morning, there were tea and fruit and eggs on toast, enough breakfast on the platter that Link actually felt full for a change. He wasn't sure at first whether to be disappointed or not when Zelda climbed out of bed to get dressed, but decided he didn't want to spoil his good mood. Plus, it was fun to help her with the layers of dress and jewelry… or rather get in the way and use the excuse just to touch her.

"You are not actually being at all helpful," Zelda laughed, slapping his hands playfully away from her chest as she fastened on jewelry.

"Maybe not," he admitted, starting to pull on his own clothing, not too distracted as he watched her run her fingers through her hair. He'd never met someone with such long, silky hair before; most farmers didn't keep long hair, it just got in the way. It felt lovely on his hands, or his face, or his skin, and it made his cheeks flush a bit to remember the way it fell down, pooling on his chest as she'd bent over him last night. It never seemed to tangle, and he wondered if that was some kind of magic, or the kind of luck that gave her such clear grey eyes. "Here, let me," he offered, as she started to braid it.

She shrugged, and sat back down on the bed, flicking her hair all over back behind her shoulders. Link knelt behind her, his fingers combing through the long, silken strands, slightly cool on his fingers. He'd helped Ilia braid Epona's mane and tail before for special occasions, so he at least knew how the basic pattern worked. Zelda's hair was far softer than the mare's mane, although it was just as easy to handle. She seemed to be enjoying it, sighing happily as he stroked through her hair, taking his time arranging and finger-combing it before starting to actually braid.

It was soothing, relaxing… and Link loved that it was a way to care for her, at least a bit. It's not as if he hadn't touched her before, far more intimately, but he enjoyed the gentleness of this, the simplicity of it. She handed him a ribbon as he got towards the end of her braid, and he wove it in, binding it around the end to keep everything in place. He leaned forward, his arms wrapping around her, kissing the tip of her ear.

Zelda smiled, leaning back against his chest. She'd had maids braid her hair on occasion before, for ornate parties and the like, but she'd been a child the last time anyone spent that much loving time on her, just stroking through her hair. A part of her worried about how deeply Link was becoming attached to her, and she to him, but she pushed it away, deciding to just enjoy the moment and the sensation of being loved and cared for and safe.

It couldn't last forever, of course, but somehow Ganondorf's approach felt like less of an intrusion today. Maybe it was because of the very enthusiastic women he'd brought home the night before, or maybe he had enough of a hangover to not want to yell and throw his weight around. He didn't make any demands or lewd remarks as he stood in the door this time though, although he did look rather pleased at how content the two of them seemed with each other. "Come on, you two. We have plenty of work to get to today."

Link stood up, offering Zelda a hand. She took it, rising as gracefully with his superfluous assistance as she would without. "And what work is that?" Zelda asked, sounding pleasant and diplomatic about it as she walked forwards, not reacting to the brush of Ganondorf's hand on her back. Link jumped as Ganondorf's fingers touched lightly against his own waist, not having the same self-control. He glanced up at the man, but other than a faint grin, Ganondorf didn't remark on his reaction.

"Anything that needs doing," Ganondorf replied to Zelda. "There are a few minor injuries from workers over-extending themselves that I'm sure you would love to tend to. Mothers with babies that want blessings, large columns to be lifted into place, that sort of thing."

"Ah, time to be popular rulers, I see," Zelda said, smiling as she stepped out into the sun. "Maybe you'll make a decent king after all."

"I've had quite some time to study from a wide variety," Ganondorf remarked. He had decades of experience with the Gerudo tribes of course, and knew how to handle a proud, disparate nation of tribal people. Even as he'd tried to invade Hyrule, he'd been studying their systems, and he hadn't stopped when the Hero of Time had defeated him. Over his years of imprisonment, he'd been perfectly aware of what was going on, just unable to interact with it. He'd seen how that Zelda's line had held power, which strategies worked best. He'd seen the neighboring countries, how Labrynna and Holodrum struggled with dictators, with unwieldy groups of ministers, held back by having no divine right to rule choosing their leaders. He'd even been able to catch glimpses of the cults of Subrosia and the achingly slow democracy and committees of Termina.

But even here, in the golden land of Hyrule, the most successful reigns were presided over by the rulers who were best liked by their subjects. And while he had little patience for negotiation and legal talk, he had no fear of getting his hands dirty, traits he suspected Link shared. The boy certainly seemed more enthusiastic about the prospect of hands-on helping than he had been about treaty negotiation.

He stopped walking when Ganondorf did, the man pointing at a group of Gerudo warriors and Hylian carpenters laying the rafters over the throne room. "You help this group, Link. I'm sure your acrobatic skills will come in handy. Don't wander off, I'll be around to collect you later." Link glanced at Zelda, who shrugged. There were enough Gerudo in the group to make sure Link didn't make a run for it, but they did actually need a sixth person to make up the even pairs to install the big beams. Looking forwards to being able to do something useful for a change, Link nodded and trotted off. Although he'd never been much of a builder, at least his training as a goatherd, farmer, and warrior meant he could lift lots of heavy things. As he was handed the end of a staggeringly heavy length of wood that would be part of the main roof backbone, he reflected that strength would certainly be put to the test.

Zelda was led to Castletown's clinic, and assigned a Gerudo 'assistant'. She hadn't expected to be left alone, and indeed, she probably wouldn't have tried to escape anyways. This was where she wanted to be, helping her people, and the smiles she got as she mended the first wrenched shoulder were plenty reward enough.

She'd taken note of Ganondorf's simple clothing today, tough but well-made fabric, a bronze torque set with his favoured topaz the only jewelry in evidence; working clothes. Somehow, she still didn't expect to come out of the clinic to see him hauling the massive doors for the castle entrance, Triforce flaring as he lifted the fifteen foot slabs of wood and iron into place on his own, holding them steady as craftsmen scrambled up ladders to hook up the hinges. "Surprised, Princess?" her companion noted. "He might be King, but even our men have to prove their power in the desert. There are no free rides for us."

Zelda wouldn't have had a problem helping with the construction work, but was called off to mediate a dispute about the price of milled flour compared to bread, then was drawn off to chase out a spirit haunting the room a new mother wanted to make into a nursery, and by the time she was done arguing a Zora fisherman into selling equally to everyone in the marketplace, the sun was going down. "Diplomacy is just as important as raw strength," she said as she and the Gerudo walked back up to the castle, where the tubs usually reserved for crushing grapes into wine had been repurposed to hold bathing water were sitting in the castle courtyard.

"Gerudo worship all three Goddesses," her guard agreed. "Nayru's talents are vital… but Din is our patron Goddess." Power was what defined a Gerudo, what their culture aspired to. Still, anyone marked by any of the three Goddesses was accorded a certain amount of respect and awe. That didn't mean they didn't have to prove their worthiness to bear a Triforce, though.

Ganondorf appeared to be making himself immensely popular by using magic to heat the water in the basins, giving everyone a chance to rinse clean without the icy chill that would usually accompany outdoor bathing. His displays of raw strength and power throughout the day had done as much to intimidate as they had to impress, and while people were clearly happy he was there, nobody quite got up the nerve to clap him on the back or shake his hand.

Link, on the other hand, was well integrated with the group he'd been assigned to earlier in the day, all of them tearing cheerfully, if tiredly, into a leg of deer meat they'd appropriated from the newly completed kitchens. Poor Link was leaning against one of the architects, looking exhausted but pleased with the day's work. Zelda smiled to see him looking happy, but had too many people wanting to speak to her to actually make it over to talk to him. The kitchen staff were clearly thrilled to be back in business, and were turning out breads and meat for the workers, which was met with just as much enthusiasm as the warm water to clean up with and the light ale to wash the meal down.

It was only the promise of an equally hard work day tomorrow that kept the meal from turning into a night-long party. As the workers left in happy, exhausted groups, Zelda made her way through the thinning crowd towards where Link had been sitting. He'd actually curled up against the brickwork and dozed off, the rest of his group gone home except for one Gerudo who was vaguely keeping an eye on him while picking the bone of their meal clean.

"Isn't that adorable," Ganondorf chuckled, coming up behind her. His presence was hot at her back, his hand heavy on her shoulder, but it didn't bother her as much as it had a few days ago. Goddess bless, she was actually getting used to him.

"He doesn't know how to take it easy," Zelda remarked, as the remaining Gerudo saluted cheerily with her deer bone and headed off into the night. She walked over to Link, brushing a hand over his forehead lightly.

He jerked awake, looking up at her and smiling. "Must have dozed off… sorry."

"No need to apologize for an honest day's work," Ganondorf said, sliding in beside Zelda and scooping Link up effortlessly in his arms.

"I can walk!" he protested, pushing at his chest, and trying not to touch him at the same time.

"Humor me," Ganondorf said as he strode towards their tower, just the barest hint of warning in his tone.

It was an embarrassingly vulnerable position to be carried in. Link felt like a child, his legs draped over one of Ganondorf's arms, his own arms mostly pinned against his sides. Not necessarily an uncomfortable position, at least physically, but it was very disconcerting to be held this close to him. At least they were both still fully clothed, and not trying to kill each other, unlike every other time he'd been in this close proximity to the Gerudo.

Ganondorf was enjoying himself immensely. He could feel the tension in Link's body, just as clearly as he could feel the weariness. He knew if the boy hadn't been as tired as he was, he'd never have gotten away with it, but Link was just too drained to do more than vocally protest. He could sense Zelda pacing along beside him, not willing to let Link out of her sight. He debated on pushing his advantage and shifting his grip on Link's body to something more suggestive, but decided that it would be more advantageous in the long run not to.

"No really, you can put me down now." Link said as they got to the door of the tower, but Ganondorf just nodded at the door. Rolling her eyes a bit, Zelda opened it for him, following him up the stairs.

"No, I'm enjoying this," Ganondorf said with a faint laugh. Link could feel the low rumble in his chest more than he could hear it, and sighed. He started to tilt his head back, but didn't really like baring his throat. He absolutely didn't want to rest his head against Ganondorf's chest either, regardless of the fact that it would be more comfortable, so he just kept himself as still as he could, feeling like a petulant child being carried off to bed and not sure if there was actually anything he could do to improve the situation.

It was almost funny, Zelda thought to herself. To someone who only met them today, it probably would be. But she knew how twisted Ganondorf could be, how depraved his tastes were, and so her amusement was heavily diluted by worry. He was entertained right now without doing anything too unpleasant, but she was well aware how quickly that could change. She opened the door to their room, allowing Ganondorf to turn sideways and carry Link into the room.

"You can put me down now," Link said, squirming and trying to get down. He was definitely over being carried around now.

Ganondorf chuckled again, striding over and dropping him on the bed. "There. Down," Ganondorf said, grinning at the untidy sprawl of limbs as Link struggled to get into some sort of dignified position. Just as he managed to sit up, Ganondorf pressed a heavy hand to his chest, forcing him back down and kissing him deeply. He relished Link's sharp intake of breath, straightening up as the boy's shock wore off and he started to struggle. "Goodnight," he said with a wide grin, brushing a caressing hand over Zelda's cheek on the way out and deciding not to press his luck. He didn't feel like having her teeth through his lip, not tonight, anyway.


	16. Chapter 16

"He _kissed_ me!" Link said with a shudder, rubbing his sleeve across his mouth like an embarrassed child.

"Well… yes, yes he did," Zelda sighed. "But at least he left."

"I guess…" Link said. "Well, so much for being tired."

Zelda laughed quietly and came over to the bed, pulling his boots off and setting them by the door. "It was… surprising."

Link shrugged, undoing his belt and shucking his outer tunic and chainmail, laying them across the little table beside the bed. "But not entirely unexpected… even I've been reading the signs… I just was trying to pretend it wasn't going to happen."

Zelda was unstrapping jewelry and setting it beside his tunic. "I know, Link… I'm sorry, I hoped I could keep his interest off of you."

"I thought I was supposed to be protecting _you_ from his dastardly tastes," Link said with a weak chuckle.

She smiled at him, and walked forwards, leaning over him and kissing his forehead. "Come on. Let's try and get some sleep, shall we? I have a feeling we're going to need it."

O

They were both dressed and waiting when Ganondorf arrived to collect them the next morning. By the time Zelda emerged from the kitchens many hours later, where she'd been sorting through stores of food and dishes, making lists and helping to clear out rubble from a section of storerooms that had been partially collapsed, there were complete walls and the skeleton of a roof over the great hall.

"Well, Princess, it looks as if you'll actually have somewhere to conduct matters of state tomorrow," Ganondorf said, looking pleased with himself as he strode towards the kitchens, a cow carcass slung across his back for the feast. "The carpenter is polishing the thrones now."

That was a relief. While the incident with the Gerudo had required immediate attention, most of her ruling duties had simply been pushed to the side until now. But it was heading into high summer, which meant there would be increased demands for trade, questions about planting rights and requirements, arguments over labor laws and how many goats could be kept in what size pen and which rivers the Zora would allow to be dammed to irrigate crops and… wait, thrones plural?

Curious, Zelda went to the newly rebuilt state room, where tilesetters and carpenters were laying the roof on over the rafters, and the stonemasons were finally sweeping away the last of their rock dust and chips. There was no glass in the windows yet, it would take weeks for the artisans to complete the stained glass murals, and the walls were still bare. Zelda had sent some of the old, worn tapestries in storage to the weavers' workshop to be repaired, as the newest ones had all been damaged beyond repair in the fight.

Sure enough, on the central dais, there were three thrones, the largest one in the center clearly designed to accommodate Ganondorf's massive frame. While the two on either side were smaller to fit their intended occupants, she was interested to notice they were as well constructed, and clearly were designed to match each other. They were simple and perfectly proportioned, constructed of the pale, pinkish-gold oak wood that made up most of the forests around Castletown. All three came to a triangular point on top, and each had a Goddess symbol masterfully carved in the center of the crowning triangle.

She smiled and complimented the craftsman on his fast and skilled work. The carpenter was an older, cheerful looking man, and unusually had the rounded ears of a pureblood human, a rarity in Castletown. He was currently finishing Nayru's gracefully curved circles on what Zelda recognized to be her intended throne, his chisel cutting effortlessly through the wood's grain with the skill of someone well practiced in the art. Keeping her expression neutrally happy so her musings would not reflect badly on the carpenter's work, Zelda frowned inwardly. Ganondorf had clearly designed the room to enforce the symbolism of Hyrule, just in case anyone walking into the room didn't realize they were speaking with all three Goddess chosen rulers. Even the arrangement of the thrones echoed the Triforce in the Hylian crest. It would be an intimidating sight for those without patron Gods, and she wondered just who he was planning to intimidate. Her musings were interrupted by an irreverent thought; she smiled at the idea of convincing Link to sit in a Royal council. He was going to be horrified at the realization he had a throne.

Good humor at least temporarily restored, Zelda left the state room and went out into the sunlight of the yet-to be completed great hall. When completed, the massive doors would be slid open against the walls, allowing the relatively small throne room to be expanded into an area capable of receiving hundreds of people for events. The appetizing smells wafting up from the kitchen corridor just off of the great hall prompted her to skip down the stairs again.

The head cook laughed, an older, plump woman who had been working in the kitchens since Zelda was a tiny child. "Just like when you were just a wee one, Princess," she said cheerfully, handing Zelda a pastry hot out of the oven, loading the rest into a basket. "Now, you take this lot out to the workers trying to give us a roof over our heads, as I'm sure they're just as hungry as you."

It took several minutes to see how to get up to the roof, but Zelda eventually found scaffolds on the south wall. She tucked her skirts into her belt and started to climb, holding the basket in one arm. By the time she reached the top of the wall, she was surrounded by eager workers all too happy to relieve her of her burden. Seeing Link making his way over, she shifted around the group on the sloped roof so he could easily get at her. "Thanks," he said, picking up one of the nut and fruit filled pastries. Zelda smiled brightly and kissed him on the cheek, setting her basket down for them to peruse at their leisure, and headed back down to the ground. She chuckled softly to hear the good-natured teasing going on above her, certain Link would be bright pink but pleased about it anyways.

After untangling even her hiked-up hem for the third time on her way down, Zelda made her next stop a seamstress. She spent a half hour or so with the seamstress, deciding on what kind of leggings she could wear and how long a skirt would have to be on top of them to still look acceptable for her station. She had no problem wearing trousers privately, but part of being a princess was looking like one, so she'd just have to compromise. Feeling satisfied, she ordered several varieties, one simple version to be completed for tomorrow, the other, more ornate styles would be for when Castletown wasn't in rebuilding mode.

She didn't actually make it back to the castle before being called over to help with clarification on a law about how large an animal could be before being classes as livestock instead of pet, and then was requested to mediate on something else. She didn't even notice when the sky had darkened until Ganondorf appeared out of nowhere, taking the ledger out of her hands. "Time to stop working for tonight, Zelda," he said, handing it back to the flustered store owner.

Zelda blinked, looking around. The sky was in full twilight, she'd been reading and scribing by the light of oil lamps. The shopkeep babbled something about how grateful he was for the help and he was sure he could handle it now and that she should go get some rest. She realized Ganondorf was actually being protective, in a surprisingly quiet, non-violent way. Still, that glower was plenty intimidating… and now that she stood up, Zelda realized how gritty her eyes were and how much her stomach was growling.

For a dizzy moment, she expected Ganondorf to scoop her up into his arms like he'd done with Link, but he just offered her his arm. Glad to retain at least as much dignity as she could while being fetched like an errant child, she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and let him lead her out, up to the castle. "I've already sent Link to bed… he was reluctant to go without you, until I said I would carry him again if he fell asleep downstairs." His laugh was a little less cruel than she expected, sounding genuinely amused.

"How considerate of you," she said dryly. It was a surreal moment, walking to her partially rebuilt castle in the growing darkness, arm in arm with the man who had taken her captive, manipulated countless people into doing his bidding, tortured her and Link… and yet she felt strangely at ease. She didn't like him, and yet she could nearly respect him, could actually… almost… trust him. Not in the way she trusted Link, of course, but…

She could trust him to take the course that would retain his power. And that meant she could trust him to do his best to keep Hyrule stable. She could trust him to keep the country safe as well, although she devoutly hoped her people had seen the end of war for a few generations.

"There is food waiting for you in your room," Ganondorf said, as they entered the tower. "And Link may even still be awake to greet you. I will collect you both in the morning to start again…" He brought her to the foot of the stairs, handing her up until she was nearly on a level with him. Deftly, he shifted her hand from the crook of his arm to his fingers, and raised it to his lips.

Zelda had received hundreds of courtly kisses. Maybe thousands, she doubted she could ever count the true number. It was a culturally accepted way for men of nearly any class to have a chance to touch a noble lady, and Zelda knew she had admirers from all walks of life. So while the act was nothing unusual… it felt differently than it ever had.

It was the first time Ganondorf had shown any true gentleness towards her, and she found it disconcerting that he could. She was suddenly very aware of how hot and dry his hand was on hers, his skin rough and strong from a life of hard work and fighting. His grip was just tight enough to remind her how easily he could crush her bones, a contrast with the surprisingly light touch of his lips, brushing her knuckles just below the Triforce.

His touch lingered far too long, and Zelda pulled away, backing away from him up the stairs. He just watched her go, his expression just amused as it had been the previous night. Zelda didn't relax as much as she'd hoped when she was out of his sight, didn't really relax at all until she'd crawled into bed with Link. "He got you too, didn't he?" Link murmured sleepily, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"You know… it shouldn't be possible for his touch to disturb me at this point," Zelda said quietly, snuggling into him. "After all of it… that he's done…"

"Well, at least you're not exhausted and bleeding by the end of it anymore," Link pointed out, starting to drift back to sleep again.

"Well, not bleeding anyway," Zelda said. Although she liked working as hard as they had been. It felt good to be useful… and if Ganondorf was going to stay happy with working them to exhaustion and teasing them with the occasional light caress, well, there could be worse things.

Such as waking up to Ganondorf peering curiously at them, just an inch away from Link's nose. He woke up with a decidedly un-masculine yelp and jumped, adrenaline burning away any chance of sleeping in. The Gerudo laughed, leaning back on his heels, grinning widely as Link tried to untangle from the sheets without elbowing Zelda more than he already had. "You should have seen your face, boy," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Now come on, up you get. Time to get back to work. And no, I'm not leaving while you get dressed." He tossed Zelda a new, shorter skirt and leggings, which she seized eagerly.

Well, he was definitely still creepy then, Link thought to himself, glowering at Ganondorf as he rolled out of bed, pulling his trousers on as quickly as he could. Still, the man never touched them, just sat there with that maddening grin, which was almost as disconcerting as if he were demanding sex. As if reading his mind, Ganondorf said, "No, if I fuck you now, you'll both just sleep all day, and then how will we get anything done?"

His tone was so matter-of-fact, so light hearted that Link barely even flinched at the words, and Zelda just glanced over calmly from buckling on her jewelry and said, "What a logical thought, Ganondorf. There is hope for you yet." She picked up one of the two meatrolls on the little table and headed down the stairs, Link following quickly after her so he wouldn't be stuck in the room alone with Ganondorf.

Just as they descended into what was rapidly becoming the Great Hall of the new Hyrule Castle, a loud hail was heard, and all three turned to see the postman jogging forwards. "Mr. Link! I have another letter for you! And you, Mr. Ganondorf. An honor to serve you sirs, lady," he said, handing over the folded parchments, saluting, and running off.

Ganondorf gestured grandly for Link to open his, and he did without hesitation, eager for news about his hometown. Colin's careful, clear printing filled him with relief even before he started to read.

_Dear Link, _

_It is good to be back home again, we all missed our families and our houses. _

_That woman soldier you sent to help us is really neat! Her name is Shalla, and she is so strong, and she knows lots about making good campfires and hunting. Everybody in the village likes her, because she keeps the herds safe and brings in extra meat for the families that can't get out to hunt. She even started to help me with my sword fighting, and she is teaching Talo and even Beth. She says girls should know how to use a sword too._

_Ilia didn't like her at first, she thinks swords are bad. But Shalla knows lots about horses too, and Epona seems to like her a lot. Now she and Ilia spend a lot of time together, Shalla even moved into her house. Ilia is much happier, and it makes me happy too. I hope you are happy in the castle in Hyrule._

_Colin_

He wasn't sure what to think about a Gerudo warrior being that close to Ilia. His friend was so vulnerable and sweet, and would have no way to defend herself if this Shalla was ordered to attack. Much to his surprise, though, Ganondorf let out a hearty laugh as he read over his shoulder. "So Shalla's fallen for this Ilia girl, has she? Good. Ordon could use the extra defense."

Ganondorf handed the parchment he'd gotten to Zelda so she could scan it while he spoke. "Labrynna's army is apparently on the march. One of the Gerudo tribes still holding the wasteland borders got the information from a travelling trader coming up from the east. There's been no official declaration, so it's unclear who exactly they're marching on…"

"But since Hyrule is the only country in the region recently weakened by war, the chances are they're coming here," Zelda finished grimly. She turned and marched into the throne room, drawing the two men after her. With the relative privacy of the newly completed room, she turned to Ganondorf and said, "I sold myself as a hostage to keep my country safe from Zant. I was hoping to avoid the threat of war again during my reign."

"Hence why you sold both Link and yourself to me," Ganondorf said, eyes narrowing. "Hyrule is mine, and I do not intend to lose it to any uppity invading force who thinks they can take it from me."

It wasn't exactly the response Zelda was hoping for. She knew there wasn't actually a response she'd be happy with, though, not with an army marching for her country. "Then you will defend Hyrule if we cannot attain a peaceful resolution?" she asked, feeling her sense of reality swim a bit as she turned to Ganondorf for help.

"If you want to try diplomacy first, you are welcome to," Ganondorf said. "But oh, yes. Yes, I fully intend to defend what is mine." He turned to Link, who looked worried, and with a hint of the same disconnection from reality Zelda had just gone through. "You're not on construction duty anymore, Link. I'm sending you and an escort to the Goron mines. My armor needs repairing, and you'll want to pick up that shield of yours."

Almost before he realized what was happening, Link found himself on a packhorse from the royal stables, two Gerudo riding escort with him, each horse with damaged armor strapped behind their riders. Zelda handed him a package for delivery to the Goron smithies, her face gone hard and cold again, tense at the thought of war. He hated seeing her that way, had fallen in love with her smiles. "Don't worry," Link said, leaning down from the horse to stroke her cheek. "If anyone can negotiate our way out of an fight, it's you. It'll all work out fine."

She forced a smile, although it was a shallow one. "I hope you're right. Travel safe, Link."

"And hurry back," Ganondorf said, coming up behind her. While Zelda didn't exactly lean into him for comfort, she did at least look glad to have someone that powerful as an ally. "It would be wise to have all of us present when this army arrives."

Link nodded, and spurred his horse into motion, feeling a pang of regret at the gelding's unfamiliar stride, missing Epona more than ever. He'd rather she stay safe in Ordon, though, not wanting to risk her life in another battle. She'd earned a happy retirement.

With all three horses laden down with armor as well as riders, they couldn't maintain even a trot the whole way. Navigating through Castletown wasn't too long of a stretch, and within half an hour, they were out on Hyrule Fields. Epona's flowing stride had always eaten up distances so effortlessly, and Link was surprised at how long it took to cross the fields. "It'll be nightfall by the time we get to the mountain," Link observed, the sun reaching high noon by the time they got within clear sight of the cliffs.

"Well, at least you have good company," Shikoru said cheerfully. She and Naburia were his escort, and Link was mostly glad for that. At least he was friendly with them, although Shikoru's overly friendly, open personality made him a bit uncomfortable. "Don't worry, we'll keep you warm at night if we have to camp out."

If Link hadn't been riding, he probably would have tripped over something. As it was, he just caught his breath, going pink and was torn between glaring at her and pretending she wasn't there. To his surprise, Naburia came to his defense. "Now, Shikoru, you know the treaty we _just_ signed. No chasing males that are already spoken for."

"Right," Link said over Shikoru's pouting whine. "Zelda wouldn't like…"

"Zelda? I was talking about Lord Ganondorf," Naburia said, raising an eyebrow at the way Link sputtered to a halt, now turning bright red. "Our King doesn't share his toys. Even if it wasn't forbidden by that treaty, you and Zelda would both be off-limits to any Gerudo… and if they're smart, any Hylian too."

"Oh, Goddess…" Link groaned. "That's not how… that's not what it's like…"

"Yes it is," Shikoru said cheerfully. "You wouldn't be so embarrassed otherwise. So… have you slept with him yet?"

"What is _wrong_ with you people?" Link groaned, pulling his hat down over his eyes, trusting his horse to keep moving in a straight line and not trip on anything. "Don't you have any shame or sense of decency or…"

"Not the way Hylians do," Naburia said, sounding mercifully less interested than Shikoru was. "You forget that we often will share the mates we catch… and when we don't have a man held captive, we entertain each other."

That was enough to make Link peer curiously back over his shoulder at her, still not willing to meet Shikoru's eyes. "I'd never considered that before, but I suppose it makes sense…"

She grinned, showing a bit of that wicked humor that seemed to be inherent in the warrior race. "So while most of us are perfectly willing to bed another woman, a man is almost always more interesting. And there is nothing more erotic to a Gerudo than two men together."

"Except maybe for two men bearing the mark of the Goddesses," Shikoru put in cheerily, laughing as Link just leaned forward along his horse's neck, tugging his hat down to cover his burning face. Okay, he'd actually liked it better when Shikoru had been just flirting with him. He grabbed the reins and kicked his mount's ribs, sending him into a canter and putting an end to the conversation before he died of embarrassment.

They stopped briefly in Kakiriko village to water the horses and pick up supplies at the rural branch of Malomart. Link wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved that the owner was currently in Castletown. Malo was one of his Ordon friends, of course, but there was no denying the child was… odd.

Although they were actually in sight of the mountain at this point, travel was slower, as the horses had to pick their way up the canyon slopes, the trail only getting steeper and rockier as they climbed onto the mountain's foot itself. By the time they'd reached the lowest level of the Goron fortress, night had fallen and the riders were almost as tired as the horses. They'd dismounted several times at the steepest parts of the trail to save their mounts, and it was with great relief that Link rode into the courtyard that the Gorons kept accessible for their trading partners. "Link! So good to see you again!" came a happy bellow.

Link glanced up and smiled tiredly. "Gor Coron, it's good to be back," he said, dismounting for what he devoutly hoped was the last time today. He staggered under the friendly back-pounding, but held his ground. "I'm here for business, though. We need Goron smithcraft... and I've been told to hurry."

"So I see," the Goron said, peering at the cracked breastplate strapped to the back of Link's horse. "This is the Gerudo King's armor, is it not? It'll take at least a full day, but I'll set my best smiths to it immediately. Let's get these horses unloaded, and then we'll show you to your guest rooms."

The promise of rest and a long soak in the hot springs were more than enough to get the three travellers moving again, stabling the horses, providing feed and water, and loading the piles of heavy plate armor onto carts for the Gorons to take down into their volcanic forges. "Oh, right. Princess Zelda sent this for you too," Link said, handing it to Gor Coron after fishing it out of his saddlebag.

Gor raised a rocky eyebrow, but nodded his head. "I'll attend to it as soon as we get you to your rooms." They each could have their own bedroom, all adjoining a common guest room where food would be served, all the rooms carved carefully into the mountain itself. Even the beds were scoops of rock lined with straw mats, the stone warm to the touch, so there were no blankets. And of course, there was a small hot spring just off the main room, a pitcher of cool water to drink already resting at the edge of the pool.

Link did have enough modesty to turn away from the Gerudo as they stripped unselfconsciously, stepping into the pool with sighs of delight. He tried to pull off his clothing as discreetly as possible and slip into the pool without either of them looking. They might have said they weren't going to be seducing him, but he wasn't entirely sure he believed them. The enticement of the hot water was too strong to pass up though, no matter how prudish he might be feeling.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed soaking, his head resting on a ledge clearly carved just for that. Eventually, a giggling Shikoru pulled the not at all reluctant Naburia from the pool, dragging her off to one of the bed cubicles and leaving Link on his own for the first time in… a very, very long time. Even before his capture, Midna was constantly there in his shadow, and they'd been adventuring together for months. He realized he hadn't really been thinking of her lately… it had been a relief to realize she must be alive if she'd stolen the Twilight gem, he supposed he'd just assumed she'd gone back to the Twilight Realm with her people.

He was just debating on whether he missed her company more than he was relieved not to have her teasing him constantly, when he heard someone else enter the water. Forcing heavy eyes open, Link glanced across to see whether Shikoru or Naburia had come back. There was a stranger there, with oddly luminous blue skin, and unnaturally bright orange hair. Link jumped, slipping from the ledge and dipping under the water. He came up sputtering, frowning as he realized how oddly familiar the woman was.

She smiled, her grin just as familiar as her voice. "Hello Link," said Midna.


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: To 'Guest', I cannot see a romance developing there any more than you can. _

_On another note- While Ganondorf is indeed going to continue his torment of Link... I will be editing chapters to post on this site so nothing explicit occurs. The full versions will be posted on instead. I understand that not everyone enjoys sexual encounters between men, but it has a place in this story. My compromise will be not posting detail in this version. Thank you in advance for not discounting the story for one aspect you dislike._

"Midna?" Link asked, pushing his soaking wet hair out of his eyes. "You… um… you're…"

Midna laughed again, and slid closer to him. "It's great to see you too, Link."

"You're alive. I mean, we knew you must be, but… I didn't expect…" he gestured at her, not entirely sure how to say it.

"I told you that wasn't my true form," she said, grinning. Her face was beautiful, and her body distractingly so, not concealed much by the steaming water. She was tall enough that her breasts were almost completely visible, looking inviting and full in the buoyant water. The wickedness in her smile was just as playful as it had been as an imp, though. "This is what a freed Twilit being looks like."

"I'm glad your people are finally free," Link said, smiling at her and relaxing a bit now, keeping his eyes carefully up. "Are you all back in the Twilight Realm now?"

She glanced away from him, her skin glowing in the moonlight in a way that his definitely didn't. "Our world is dangerous, Link… my people are so few in number now that living in the Twilight Realm is difficult…"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He bore a lot of guilt for killing Twilight beings… he'd tried to avoid lethal force, but they had been twisted by dark magic and trying to kill him… and it wasn't always possible to banish them safely.

"It's not your fault, Link!" Midna said, her hand a cool touch on his cheek, turning his face to look at her. "You did everything you could for my people and for yours. You and I both know who the real culprit behind all of this was."

"Ganondorf," Link agreed, leaning into her touch just a little. He'd grown used to her riding him as a wolf, so it wasn't completely foreign… but it felt different without fur. Her hand felt… not quite real, a little cool, a faint tingle of magic inherent in her skin.

She nodded, her thumb rubbing gently against his cheek. "And how he's holding your whole country hostage… not through magic as he did mine, but with subtlety… which is more dangerous, because nobody knows anything is wrong. At least outright slavery can be fought."

"I'm actually surprised… I thought he'd have made more sweeping changes, declared martial law, something," Link mused. "But to Hyrule as a whole, he's actually… popular. People like him."

"And to you?" Midna asked softly. She was closer to him now, her leg not quite touching his in the water. Her hand slipped down onto his shoulder instead, his skin tingling slightly at her touch.

"He's terrifying," Link said even more quietly. "He manipulates me so well I don't realize he's got me trapped until there's nowhere to go but where he wants…"

"You and Zelda both, I think," Midna guessed, now just a hair closer, her foot brushing against his leg, just a casual touch that didn't feel at all casual. "He's using your decency against each other."

"Not really against, just… exploits it," he sighed. "He sent me here, with two guards… but he's smart enough to know I could escape into the mines if I wanted to. So he's keeping Zelda back in the castle with him…"

"As a guarantee for your good behavior," Midna said, shaking her head. "Simple… and more effective than it should be. Zelda's a strong woman. How did he turn her against me, turn_ you _against me?" Her voice held a hint of anger now… she had calmed down since she'd first broken free of the curse, but the betrayal still stung.

"Ganondorf does a lot worse to his captives than Zant," Link said, his tone distant, haunted. "We didn't mean to go against you, Midna… He gave Zelda a bargain to keep Hyrule safe and peaceful, if she cooperated with him. And we _did_ think you were dead."

"I suppose that's true," she said, going quiet for a bit. "Link… we have to get him off of Hyrule's throne. You should come with me… we make an excellent team. The Gorons are your allies, not his. They'd hide you, no questions asked."

"I am NOT leaving Zelda in his power," Link snapped. He would rather suffer Ganondorf alone himself than put Zelda in the same position.

"Alright, alright," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "Maybe it's better if you stay anyways. You're in an excellent position to strike from within."

Link was quiet again. He wasn't sure if it was fear or reluctance or something else that made him so hesitant. "Midna… don't you think I haven't tried? He's… I can't… He's too much for me to take."

"No, he's not," Midna said firmly, her hands going to either side of his face, forcing him to look right at her. She was a bit taller than him, and Link wondered errantly if he was really shorter than average, or if he just only knew tall people. "You are the bravest person I know, and you don't give up in hopeless situations. And this situation isn't hopeless anyways. I'll help, and I'm sure Zelda will too."

"Midna… it's not that simple…" It wasn't just that Ganondorf was so strong. It was that lately… Link hadn't been looking for ways to kill him anymore. He didn't like the man, would be happier if he was gone, but… somehow, it had stopped seeming like the best option. Sure, he could just argue that the man beat him almost to death every time he tried. And that even if personal injury wasn't enough, it was fear for what he'd do to Zelda, because Ganondorf knew Link would rather take any pain himself than see her hurt. Somehow, Link realized he'd actually started believing some of the things he said, at least about keeping Hyrule stable.

"Yes, it is," she said. "Trust me, Link… I've got allies, and we're going to be making a big show of force. If you can help take Ganondorf down, then everything can be resolved peacefully."

He blinked, thinking. "You're behind Labrynna's army?"

She looked surprised, then nodded. "I was hoping we'd make it to Hyrule before the advance warning did… but yes, we are. Holodrum's too. Link… I only want Ganondorf. He has a lot to answer for, enslaving my people twice, all the death and destruction he's caused, keeping you and Zelda captive… if we can take him out, there won't be any war. Your people will be safe, and so will Labrynna's."

"We agreed to… to cooperate so that Hyrule wouldn't be embroiled in war again," Link said slowly. One army was bad enough, but if Holodrum was attacking too… Goddesses, he hated politics. Why couldn't he just go back to being a farmer? "If we stage a coup…"

"Then Hyrule will really be free, and so will my people," Midna interrupted, her hands sliding a little farther back on his cheeks, fingers brushing against the lower curve of his ear. "Link, please… I need your help."

"I… marching an army into Hyrule is not something I agree with…" he said, distracted by the touch of her fingers, although not as much as she might suspect. He could recognize a seduction attempt now when he saw one.

"So we'll stop on the borders, Link, just get us an audience… Ganondorf won't stand a chance against you and me and Zelda and the guards I'll be bringing with us…" Her face was close now, her voice so quiet he could barely hear it.

"I…" Link's mouth was dry, and he licked his lips, trying to think of a response. It wasn't a detailed plan… but he had to admit it was a possible one. In a neutral location, with Midna's full powers at hand, Ganondorf would be vulnerable. Zelda was a mage too, and it would just take a touch of Midna's magic to give him the teeth and claws of a wolf, if he couldn't get armed beforehand. The Gerudo King couldn't stand against all of them… hopefully.

Midna interrupted his musings with the light pressure of her lips on his. Link froze; even though he'd been almost expecting it, it was still surprising enough to make him hesitate. It wasn't that he didn't like Midna… she'd become a dear friend and ally, and it had been crushing to think she'd been killed. And she was certainly beautiful…

He realized he was kissing her back, his body responding to the caress even if his mind was in turmoil. Link wouldn't call his experiences of the last couple of weeks completely enjoyable… but they had been highly educational. It meant that while his body leaned forward into her kiss, his mind was able to wonder how much of this was because she actually wanted him and how much was to convince him to take her part.

It would be very nice to just… give in. Midna, while he was sure she was manipulating him, didn't want to hurt him, didn't need him to banish any nightmares. It was nice to think that she wanted him just because he was attractive and available, rather than a chess piece or the preferable option. But although her hands were skilled and delightful as they ran down his chest below the waterline, although her lips were soft on his neck, she still was doing this because she wanted something from him… something other than sex. Not to mention he doubted he could face either Zelda or Ganondorf and keep it a secret.

And so, when her hand dipped down between his legs, Link caught his breath and pushed her gently away, just the tiniest bit. "Midna… no. You don't need to do this."

"Oh, I sense otherwise," she said with wicked amusement, her fingers stroking lightly along his length under the water.

He smiled at her, letting his eyes drift down to the breasts brushing against his chest. "You'd get that reaction from any man. Midna… this is a lot to take in. I can't… I have to think about it."

"It's Zelda, isn't it?" she said, tilting her head to the side. "If that's all it is… we could share, you know…" Oh, gods, the thought of being in bed with two beautiful women… both of whom he liked and wasn't terrified of…

That image was nearly enough to completely derail his train of thought, but he forced his mind back on track, gently grabbing her head and pushing her away from his neck. "No, it's not. Or not totally. Midna, this isn't just about what I want anymore. I have a whole country to think of… and as much as I like this style of negotiation…" he chuckled, shaking his head. "I can't just decide the fate of Hyrule without talking to Zelda about it."

She drew back slightly, looking at him in astonishment. "I must admit, Link… I never thought you for a ruler of any sort."

"Neither did I," he said ruefully, letting his hands drop back into the water. "But I didn't have much choice in that matter, either. Listen, I know Zelda's pushing for a diplomatic solution already. Where should we meet… or how can I contact you?"

"The Labryn army should reach the edge of the desert in four days," Midna said. "And can you still attain wolf form? Good. I will hear you if you howl for me." She stepped back from him, rising from the water, her form dissolving into Twilight as he watched. Link waited until the last trace of Twilight magic was gone from the area, then groaned, rubbing his face and leaning back in the water. So much for a break from politics. What was he going to tell Zelda?


	18. Chapter 18

Link was faintly surprised when he woke up to daylight outside of his alcove. He'd been up most of the night, wrestling with an uncomfortable mix of arousal, guilt over being aroused, dread, worry, frustration… it just seemed to go on and on. He desperately wished Zelda was there with him, and not just because she was beautiful and willing to have sex with him. She would know what to do with this massive bombshell of information that had just been dropped into his lap.

And she probably wouldn't have been so distracted by Midna's spectacular breasts or her skilled hands, either.

Ah, well. At least now it was daytime, and he could do at least something useful. Link rolled out of bed, pulling on his clothing, and went to go talk to Gor Coron. While he wasn't sure what who to tell how much, he was certain his friend and elder of the Gorons ought to know that there was an army on the way.

Stepping out onto the mountain trail outside the guest quarters, Link saw it wasn't actually very much morning yet, the only reason there was direct sunlight was because of how high up Death Mountain was. Most of Hyrule wouldn't be getting daylight for at least another hour. Shrugging, he kept walking anyway, following the scents of something spicy on the air towards what he hoped was a kitchen he could get some food from.

He found his way to a low-ceilinged cave, with a volcanically heated hearth all along one end. The air was heavy, moist, and smelled appetizingly of meat and spices. A Goron waved at him, offering him a heavy flatbread piled high with a mix of fried mushroom and goat meat, and Link took it gratefully. In between bites, he asked where Gor Coron might be found this early in the day, and was told to head down to the jewelry forges two levels down.

It was a beautiful morning for a walk, and with the hearty, well-spiced Goron food inside him, Link felt much calmer about the situation by the time he descended the ramps down to the forges he'd been told about. He could smell the tang of hot metal in the air, and wondered if he'd be able to tell the difference between the metals if he practiced long enough. His friend's familiar rocky profile was silhouetted briefly as he slid something inside one of the forges, and Link walked towards him.

"Good morning!" Gor called cheerfully, waving to him. He rolled aside the boulder in front of the forge a few moments later, withdrawing a small hoop of some kind. "I like working with gold," he said, half to Link, half to himself. "It moves so easily to the shape you want… you almost don't even need to heat it. Don't get to use it often… people come to us for armor and swords, not crowns."

"Crowns?" Link asked curiously, a bit of a sinking sensation in his gut as he moved around to see what Coron was working on.

"Yep," he said, dipping it in a trough of water, a small cloud of steam fading away faster than Link expected. He'd watched Rusl forging iron back in his village, and he suspected that the gold must be cooler than the iron was while working. "Here, let me make sure I've got the size right."

Link tried to protest, but Coron had settled the thing in place before he had a chance to escape. The metal was very warm on his forehead, but not uncomfortably hot. It did feel distressingly heavy though. He'd worn a helm before, of course, but it wasn't like this, didn't carry the same symbolic weight.

"Oh, don't make that face," the Gor said, punching him lightly in the arm, which meant Link didn't quite topple over sideways. "It's good steel under the gold, more of a circlet than a crown. Keep you from getting your skull split. The princess said you wouldn't wear it if it couldn't be armor too."

"I don't really want to wear it at all…" Link said, taking it off to study it. Now that he could have a good look at it, he could see there were similarities to Zelda's crown, but it was less ornate, even with the empty jewel socket. It had the same basic shape as hers, but less intricate and it actually did look like it could be armor. Especially if he wore it over his hat, and not just on his bare head like she did.

"I bet not," Coron chuckled, taking it back and looking over it critically, setting it back in the forge to heat for a few more seconds. "You're a good, down to earth kind of man, Link. That's why the Gorons agreed to help you, why you're still a welcomed guest."

Link wiped a drop of water from his forehead where it had trickled off the circlet. "Gor, there's something you need to know. Labrynna's army is marching for Hyrule, and so is Holodrum."

The Goron made a sound like boulders grinding together in displeasure as he started working on the crown again, smoothing out the shape of it. "Figured it must be something like that, to be working on the biggest suit of armor I've ever seen. What caused the damage in the breastplate of that, anyway? And how in Din's name did he survive it?"

"Ah… by Din's hand, actually," Link said, shrugging. "Ganondorf's got the Triforce of Power, and it makes him very hard to kill."

"Good kind of person to have on your side in a war," Coron grunted, leaning down to pick an eye-sized green jewel out of a drawer, holding it to Link's tunic. He sniffed, set it back, and picked out another. Nodding at the colour match, he started to set it in the empty socket. "Especially since the Knights of Hyrule are a bit of a joke. What are you planning to do about your lack of an army?"

"I don't know," Link said, rubbing his face. "At least Ganondorf's Gerudo are trained to fight. And I'm sure Zelda is already working on some kind of a backup plan. She's hoping to avoid a war, but she wouldn't leave us undefended in case she can't talk us out of this one. Listen, I don't want to leave your home undefended…" Link trailed off, uncomfortable.

"But you're hoping for some Goron warriors?" he mused, using a surprisingly delicate touch and tiny tools to fold the gold in place over the gem. "Link… you're a friend of the Goron. You're as close to being one of us as anyone not made of rock can be. And on top of that, you're a ruler of Hyrule now. If you want something, you'll get it."

That thought hadn't even occurred to him. "I… I hadn't thought about it that way…" Link said, now feeling even more uncomfortable. "I'm not ordering anything. Really, you know that, right?"

"Of course," he said, staring at Link with a calculating gaze. "I'll speak with the other elders. We're smiths, not soldiers… but we've got honor and courage. I'll make sure a detachment leaves with you, and we'll be on the lookout for problems from the south here."

"Thank you," Link said, feeling a little lightheaded at this almost accidental exercise of authority. "I… I think I'm going to go get some air, if that's alright with you." Laughing a bit, his friend waved him off, telling him he could check on the armorsmith's progress if he wanted.

The cooler air outside the forge did help to clarify things. After all, it was a good thing he was getting help from the Gorons. They really were going to need all the help they could get if Zelda's negotiations failed… or if Midna's coup did. All the confusion that had kept him up last night was back again that quickly, and he realized again just how badly he needed to get back to Castletown and talk to Zelda about it.

He still hated Ganondorf. He would be exceptionally happy if they really could manage to kill him and free Hyrule. But his mind kept bringing up the awkward point that Ganondorf was the strongest warrior in Hyrule, and they had two armies marching down on them, three if you counted the Twilit separately. He groaned, rubbing tiredly at his eyes as he walked into the deeper caverns, where he could hear the clanging of armorsmiths hard at work.

Gods, that armor was massive. It somehow looked bigger in pieces… the backplate alone was larger than his shield. From the looks of things, the Gorons had been working at it all night in shifts, most of the damage already repaired, now down to smoothing the patches and reworking the intricate tooling.

A Goron working on the still rough shoulder piece told Link they should be ready by midday. Since it felt strange to watch them repair his enemy's armor, making him more invulnerable than ever, Link left again. He wasn't entirely sure whether to be happy or not to see that Naburia and Shikoru were awake and getting some breakfast of their own. They certainly were distracting, and in the end, he decided it'd be better just to forget about his troubles for a while, and let the two Gerudo tease him to their hearts' content.

By the time Gor Coron came to tell them their work was done, Link was sorely regretting that decision. He'd managed to forget overnight just how shameless the two women were… and how much they seemed to love making him squirm. Seeing a group of two dozen Gorons geared up for travel by the horses cheered him up though, almost as much as the repaired Hylian Shield in the hands of the Goron standing beside his mount.

"We'll keep watch to the South," Gor Coron said, as Link hooked the shield over his back and swung up on the horse. "If anyone tries to get up to Hyrule Castle through the canyons, they'll have a hard time of it. Good luck, Link."

Link nodded, reaching down to clap him on the shoulder. "You too, Gor." He urged his horse forwards, eager to get back to Castletown and Zelda. Going down the mountain was almost as achingly slow as it had been going up, and was certainly more unsettling. At least the horses were fresh. The switchback trail was designed for rolling Gorons more than it was for humans, and their escort had no problems with it.

He was worried at first that they wouldn't be able to keep up once they reached flat ground, but he'd forgotten how quickly a Goron could move when they started to roll. Looking towards home, the horses were much more eager despite their heavy burden, and they made better time returning to Castletown than they had on the trip out. They rode into Castletown as the sun sank to the horizon, casting long shadows ahead of them.

Zelda and Ganondorf were waiting at the now rebuilt Great Hall, along with a group of Hylians and Gerudo to unload and take charge of the horses. Link slid to the ground, only pausing to hook his shield to his back, and dashed over to hug Zelda, murmuring quietly in her ear, "We really need to talk." He stepped back then, not wanting to make Ganondorf suspicious, or jealous which might be worse.

"Welcome back, you three," Ganondorf said. "Come, Link, we have some things to discuss."

"I see you've brought some allies," Zelda said with some amusement, but he could hear the relief in her voice too. "Good thing we've got some empty inn space in Castletown, since our guest rooms are still under construction." She gestured to one of the Hylian attendants, who looked thrilled to have such an important job as settling Goron guests comfortably.

That taken care of, Ganondorf placed a hand on each of their shoulders and guided them to their tower. "Dinner's waiting, Link, since I've found that business of state is much less trying while accompanied by food." Well… while he didn't like the feeling of the massive heavy hand on his back, he couldn't argue with that logic, and so he let Ganondorf lead them into his room, where there was indeed a large roasted cucco, loaf of dark bread, and some fresh vegetables in a dish, a large pitcher of ale beside it and a plate of pastries for dessert.

Well, maybe if he could get Ganondorf distracted enough by thoughts about the war, he'd just let him and Zelda go to bed without any further… activities. Plus, the food smelled good, although much milder than the spicy Goron food had been. Zelda poured three glasses of ale, sitting down in one of the heavy chairs, picking some food onto a plate. Link followed suit, glad to have something between him and Ganondorf, even if it was as small a shield as a plate of dinner.

"Have you heard any news here?" Link asked curiously, wanting to know if Midna had approached either of them too.

"My cousins tell me Labrynna is definitely marching for Hyrule," Ganondorf said. "They've entered the wasteland, but they won't be to Hylian lands for at least three more days. Initial estimates say about two hundred soldiers, fifty of them mounted."

"Other than that, no official declaration, no envoys, nothing," Zelda said, tearing at her bread as if relieving some frustration on the thick crust. "I've ordered all Knights to assemble at the Castle grounds tomorrow, to see what kind of a defense we can actually muster. I've also asked Telma to speak with any of her group that are willing to fight for me again."

"Actually… I've spoken with an envoy. Kind of…" Link said, not sure whether to cringe or laugh at the expression of incredulousness on both of them. "Midna came and talked to me while I was at Death Mountain."

"Midna? She dares-" Ganondorf started, half standing up. Zelda reached up, setting a hand on his arm.

"Of course she does," she said quietly. "I'd wondered if she was the catalyst behind Labrynna's army."

"It's not just Labrynna…" Link said, edging just a bit away from Ganondorf. "She's got Holodrum's army marching too. But she's… she's asked for a… she wants to talk first. In the desert, west of Hyrule." Link had a hard time with diplomatic terms at the best of times, and having the furious King of Gerudo glaring at him, did not make it easier.

"She wants to negotiate?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow at Link's nod. "Well… how interesting. I wonder what she could possibly want."

"If she's bringing two armies, she must want it badly," Ganondorf said.

Link wasn't at all sure how much he could say without completely spilling everything, but he quickly found he didn't need to say a thing. Zelda was in full calculating diplomat mode now. "I can think of two motivations for her. The first, and probably the most core, is that she doesn't want her people living in exile any longer. We'll have to hope she's willing to focus on that point and bargain hard for it, because I suspect her second motive is just wanting revenge. You DID enslave her people, twice."

Ganondorf didn't ask the question. He knew that if Zelda thought it would save Hyrule, she'd hand him over to the Twilight Princess without a second thought. He knew that she'd realize he'd never go quietly, that he would sooner kill everyone around him than submit meekly to death. He also knew that Midna probably expected Link and Zelda to fight along with her, and that a meeting to discuss avoiding war in the middle of a barren desert was an excellent place to stage an assassination.

He would still bet on himself coming out on top in that situation. Zelda would be loath to get any more of her people killed, which would mean at worst, the three of them against him. His armor was complete, guarding his one weak spot. Zelda wouldn't be able to convince the spirits to help this time, since he was working to protect Hyrule, not invade it. Link would fight hard, but Ganondorf had beaten him before, and would do it again. Midna though, could be a problem, with her full powers available to use. On that note, actually… "Link, has anyone informed you why the Twili were banished in the first place?" Ganondorf asked, turning to look at him.

The boy nodded, swallowing a piece of bread. "They were practicing magic that the Goddesses had forbidden, and they refused to stop."

"Correct, if not exceptionally detailed," Ganondorf said, taking a drink and sitting back. "You've seen some Twilight magic. You've been affected by it. It's very powerful, very impressive, but has some vulnerabilities, like usually needing a focus to be used. However, you might have noticed that it doesn't drain a Twilight mage the same way Goddess gifts do." At Link's slow nod, he continued. "That's because the Twilit are blood mages."

Link didn't quite choke on his cucco. "Midna never said anything about that. And Zelda said you used Twilight magic to lock us in our tower." He looked over to Zelda as if wanting her to deny what he was saying, but she just looked faintly ill. And not surprised, he realized, which meant it was true and she already knew.

"Of course she didn't, because she could guess how you'd react," Ganondorf said. "The amount of blood required for a warding spell is just a drop, and for that I could use my own. The teleportation spells are similar. But the larger the spell, the more blood, the more life is required. Even Din doesn't approve of sacrificing others for magic." Binding the Twilight to Zant's bidding had taken an enormous amount of energy, but those sacrifices had been made by the Usurper King himself. And Ganondorf had used Zant's own death to twist the spell, and since the puppet was going to be killed anyway, he hadn't seen anything wrong with doing a little extra with the energy.

He was pleased to see how shaken Link was. While the boy might still be considering siding with Midna when the time came, he'd at least be considering that the Twilit weren't the blameless victims the Twilight Princess claimed they were. "So, while you two discuss tonight whether it's worth the risk to try and kill me at this meeting… just remember who you'll be siding with."

Link had looked shaken before, but now he just looked shocked. Ganondorf laughed, and pushed the tray of pastries towards him. "Go on. Take some dessert and go ahead up to your rooms… I can abstain until tomorrow." He didn't have to make the offer twice, although it made him laugh again when Link grabbed the whole plate and took Zelda with him.

_Author's Note: Oooops, thank you toshytologin, I completely forgot the mess fanfiction makes of links. The other version of this story will be on adultfanfiction . net, under the games archive. At the moment, there is just a little more detail on that site._

_I know it's a stretch making the Twili blood mages. But since there is never an explanation of exactly what kind of magic they used that was so terrible they'd been exiled for it... I decided it had to be something this dark. It doesn't necessarily make them all evil. You can use your own blood for magic, or only use willing sacrifices. The Twili themselves probably have their own morals about it, and maybe ways of using it that don't necessarily require killing. While I might go into this in more detail later on, I wanted to have it stated in case that doesn't happen._

_Thank you so much to everyone for your feedback, and your excitement. I absolutely love reading a review, whether it's just a couple short sentences, or the incredible, nearly poetic essays I've gotten from some of you. I treasure each and every bit of feedback I get, the good and the bad. You keep me writing, and keep my story improving.  
_


	19. Chapter 19

"So, are you alright?" Link asked, following Zelda closely up the stairs. "He didn't hurt you while I was gone, did he?"

"No," she replied, glancing over her shoulder at him as they climbed to their room, a small orb of witchlight bobbing above her head to light the way. "He was actually fairly cordial, the amount of time we spent together. Most of it was in council with anyone and everyone who might be helpful in a war. He never had a chance to do anything, and another pair of Gerudo went to his bed last night. I think he's got some kind of cultural responsibility to repopulate the race. I didn't actually want to know enough to ask."

"I wouldn't either, just in case he took it as some kind of invitation," Link agreed. He blinked in surprise as Zelda opened the door to their room. It actually looked like a room now, rather than a makeshift cell. There were more blankets on the bed, a small wardrobe, even a stack of firewood beside the mantle. The small table that had been beside the bed when he left was still there too, and a chair to go with it.

"Yes, since there's no more Twilit to do his bidding, and the castle is mostly rebuilt, he had no excuse to keep our room quite so… spartan, lest the maids begin to gossip about how we're living like prisoners."

"Even though we are?" he asked with faint amusement as he set down the tray on the table. Zelda's magic light settled beside it, giving them enough illumination to see clearly although the last of the sunset's colours were fading from the sky outside.

Zelda smiled, picking up one of the pastries and taking a bite. "A gilded cage _is_ still a cage," she agreed.

"Zelda… what he said about the Twilit, about Midna being blood mages…"

"Was partially true," Zelda said. "From the barest definition."

He frowned, sitting down. "But I travelled with her for weeks. I saw her do some incredible feats of magic, and I never saw a single sacrifice."

"You know she wore a piece of the Fused Shadow?" she asked, waiting for Link's nod. "The Fused Shadow was created from blood magic, a great deal of it. That is what angered the Goddesses so much about it, and why they forbade the use of it. Other than the original creation, Hylians know very little, as it was sent away along with the mages who used it, the ones who became the Twilit.

"Midna told me some, while I was captive here and before she met you, which is why I trusted her enough to heal her later. When Twilit die, or any other sentient or magical creature near enough to it, their energy is drawn into the Fused Shadow. Any Twilit mage can draw on the lives captured within it to fuel their spells."

She scrubbed her hands on her thighs slightly as she spoke. "It's still… disturbing to contemplate. Definitely an unclean kind of magic… but not as inherently evil as creating the Fused Shadows was, or sacrificing living creatures would be."

Link was surprised at how much better he felt about it. "So she hasn't been killing people to use for magic," he said, leaning back. "She's not evil, then."

"No… I don't think she is," Zelda said, coming over to the bed to sit beside him. She leaned up against him. "I'm sorry, Link… you're such a decent person, and here we are, discussing aligning with shades of grey so disturbing that there's no good answer."

"Being on your side is my answer," Link said firmly, wrapping an arm around her waist. Zelda looked up at him and smiled, shifting a little closer to him, her hand running lightly down his chest. He bent down to kiss the top of her head, then chuckled when she started undoing belts.

Of course, her motives weren't entirely about the obvious. Zelda set the shield and belts on the floor beside the bed, then shifted so she was kneeling in front of him, nuzzling softly against his neck. "What else did Midna say?" she murmured softly.

Link didn't quite sigh in disappointment. After all, any reason to have Zelda pressed up against him with her lips on his skin was a good one, but still. "You're asking me this now?" he replied quietly, his hands moving lightly around her hips.

"If he's going to scry us, at least this way he won't see anything we don't want him to see. Well. Comparatively speaking, anyways," she added after a moment's thought. "And I did miss you, Link."

He bent his head down and licked lightly along her ear, making her shiver. "Well, Midna wants us to take Ganondorf out. She said if we can do that, she'd stop the invasion before it started."

Her hands tightened on his shoulders slightly before sliding down his chest, moving to the bottom of his shirt. "You told her how much luck we've had with that so far, I assume?" she pointed out.

"Of course," Link murmured, his hands moving up to her shoulders, fingers sliding her dress slowly down. "She thinks the three of us will have better luck out in the open, with her allies."

Zelda's hands ran up his back under the shirt, making him shiver slightly at the coolness of her fingers. "This is all rather vague… didn't she have any more information than that? Or ask for some kind of guarantee?"

"Ah… well, it wasn't really a normal kind of a meeting…" Link said, flushing guiltily at the memory. "She was… um… she was trying to… she was very naked at the time."

Zelda drew back at that, more in surprise than anger, although the way Link cringed away, he was clearly worried. She chuckled slowly, shaking her head. "I shouldn't be surprised by that, I suppose." She shifted her shoulders, pulling her arms out of the sleeves of her top, letting it cling just to the tips of her breasts. "She's smart enough to use any weapon at her disposal. And you do have a delightfully exploitable vulnerability to them." She leaned forwards, letting the shirt slip down to her waist, Link's eyes following it helplessly down until she was too close, her lips brushing his cheek. "That probably explains why you didn't ask how many troops she has, or how she plans to hold them back, or how she guaranteed their help in the first place."

"I… I never thought of that…" he replied, feeling ashamed of himself. He could feel his thoughts becoming more scattered now, too, and wished he had more control. "I didn't mean to get so… distracted."

Zelda chuckled softly, her lips brushing over his before whispering, "Oh, I have no doubt she knew exactly how to manipulate you to get you just distracted enough to not ask for details, but not so completely caught up that you'd forget everything she said." Her hands were back under his shirt again, pushing it up this time instead of just teasing. "I'm not blaming you, Link… if that's all you got out of her, that will be enough."

As she pulled the shirt up over his head, he replied, his voice rather muffled, "I don't think there was anything else I knew to ask." As the tunics came free of his head, he was relieved to see she was smiling at him, instead of frowning into the distance as she thought.

"So, since worrying won't help anything…" she pointed out. "Let's just finish what we've started, hmm?" She set her finger on his lips, and slowly trailed it down his neck, chest, then belly, teasing the faint line of hair that ran down below his pants.

Well, that wasn't an invitation he was about to turn down. Link wrapped his hands around her waist with eager relief. It wasn't just about wanting her, although he did. It was about the relief that she wasn't angry over Midna. "Well, she did say one more thing…" he said, drawing her against him, relishing in the feel of her breasts against his chest. "She suggested the three of us should be together afterwards."

"I bet you enjoyed that idea," Zelda teased, enjoying Link's guilty flush. "But no point speculating on that until after we get rid of our current third bedfellow, hmm?"

"Don't want to think about him," Link murmured, one hand coming up to squeeze her breast softly, the other running down to explore around the waistband of her skirt, seeing how it would come off. "Just you." It was a rare thing, to just have her to himself, just because they both wanted it rather than because it was the better alternative.

Zelda felt a flush of pleasure at his words, the simple, pure joy of a woman with a partner totally focused on her. She leaned forwards and kissed him, tasting the faint hint of sugar from the pastry he'd just eaten. Her tongue teased along his lips, her hands running over his bare belly and hips, fingers teasing just below the hem.

He let himself melt into her kiss, finally finding the clasp on her skirt. His fingers undid it with a minor amount of fumbling, and his hands eagerly slid down, following the soft, enticing curve of her backside. Zelda sighed happily, and squirmed out of her skirt, reaching back over her shoulder to drape it over the chair beside the table. She squealed and laughed as Link took the opportunity to lean forwards, his tongue and fingers tickling up her ribs. Reaching down, she seized his shoulders and fell to the side on the bed, pulling him on top of her.

Link grinned down at her, straddling her waist and leaning down to kiss her again, his fingers running lightly down her sides. She broke from the kiss, laughing again. "That tickles, Link, cut it out!" she protested lightly. Now that he'd started tickling her, everything he did tickled, and she squirmed helplessly under him, laughing as his hands teased over her body.

He was thoroughly enjoying himself, loved the sound of her laugh, the way her skin flushed pink. It was almost just enough to enjoy innocently, but the way her naked body looked, twisting and squirming under him, rubbing between his thighs, was just as erotic as anything else they'd done together. Finally, with her breathless and his length too hard to ignore any longer, he ran his hand lower, sliding between her legs.

She was deliciously wet under his fingers, and the way her gasps changed from laughing to a soft moan made his cock twitch with anticipation. He bent down to kiss her, slipping a finger inside her. Her hips pressed encouragingly up against his hand and she returned his kiss eagerly, her tongue sliding into his mouth, and now suddenly he was the breathless one.

Her hands were down on his hips again, resolutely pushing his pants down, one hand slipping around to his front to grasp his length as she freed it. Link groaned at the feel of her fingers, slightly cool and soft and very, very welcome on his achingly hard shaft. "Midna really did get you worked up, didn't she?" Zelda whispered teasingly in his ear, stroking him lightly.

"I'd be lying if I denied it… but this is entirely over you," Link murmured back, shifting so he was kneeling between her legs instead of over them. His hand moved from her core to her hip, fingers gentle as he pulled her towards him. Zelda wrapped her legs around him, helping pull herself forwards until the tip of his shaft pressed up against the inviting hot wetness of her. Her fingers held him straight as he slid forwards into her, then dropped away as he buried himself deep inside.

Link's deeply satisfied groan was matched by a gasping moan from her, her hands now reaching up for him, pulling his body down against hers. She kissed him hard, her hands running down his back, nails scratching lightly against his skin as he began to move within her. He liked this position, he decided, liked the way her breasts felt against his chest, liked that he could kiss her, liked her hands on his back. He couldn't thrust as hard or as deep like this, but the intimacy was definitely enjoyable.

Zelda's hands moved up his back, tickling lightly along his spine, making him shudder. She buried her fingers in his hair, her thumbs running the length of his ears, brushing over the rings at the base. It scared her a bit, how much she liked having him close, how much she liked his body against hers, how much she was coming to love him so quickly, but her body had no such worries.

Slowly, Link pulled away from the kiss, dropping a soft, light kiss on her lips before pushing himself upright. Zelda cried out in delight at the change in angle, his shaft sliding deep into her, filling her with pleasure as her hands dropped back down to the bed. Her fingers fisted in the sheets as he drove into her, his thrusts not quite passing the line to desperate or rough, and his hands stayed tender as they ran over her body, tracing over the curves he was coming to know so well. His fingers teased lightly over her nipples, just right to make her whimper and squirm.

Gods, he loved the sounds she made. He was learning now, remembering which things made her really moan, what parts of her body made her writhe in delight. Of course, that got harder to focus on as he got closer to release himself, but Zelda just moaned louder as he drove harder into her, the increase in speed apparently making up for the lessening of technique. She reached forwards, her fingers digging into his thighs as she cried out, her body tightening and trembling as she came. It seemed to be both a moment more and an eternity later that Link's body finally reached its peak and he groaned as he came inside of her, his back arching and head dropping back.

She pulled him gently down on top of her, and he lay half on her, half beside, his face buried in the crook of her neck. He would have willingly stayed there for hours, but he felt her soft touch on his cheek, and she said in an entirely pitiful voice, "Link… I never got dessert." He pulled away to look at her pout with astonishment, grinning when she broke down and laughed. Rolling over, he picked up a pastry and proceeded to feed it to her, making her giggle by licking fallen crumbs from her skin.

_Author's Note: Link's weakness to breasts is an idea borrowed from Waffleface's delightful Midna/Link lemon, "Twilight's Embrace" which everyone really ought to go read now. (Remove the spaces) www. fanfiction/ s/9438518/1/ Twilight-s-Embrace. net  
_


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note: This chapter, while complete from a plot point of view, can be read in complete form on adultfanfiction. If you feel as if this chapter is lacking something... it is. Half the chapter. For those of you who do not mind reading threesomes, the full version can be found at (Remove spaces) games. adultfanfiction story .php?no=600088365 &chapter=20_

Link woke up from a dead sleep, and his first thought was that morning had come far too quickly. Some part of him had been aware they'd been given until morning… and he could see the pink in the sky outside. His arms tightened around Zelda as Ganondorf opened the door and stepped into their room. From the sounds of it, he was barefoot, and he couldn't hear the swish of a cloak either.

Zelda pressed her lips lightly to his chest and pulled away slightly, looking over Link's shoulder. "You're up early," she said softly, not looking the least bit interested in rising from Link's arms.

"I've been patient enough," Ganondorf said, his voice low, barely more than a whisper. Link flinched away as the man knelt on the bed behind him, wanting to ignore him for as long as possible. It was only moments, of course, before Ganondorf pulled down the blankets covering them. "You can start with each other." The tone made it hard to tell whether that was an order or an offer.

Zelda recognized it as both, and she suspected Link did too, even if he would still rather pretend none of this was happening. "You can do this," she murmured softly, her hand sliding lightly down his waist. And he realized she was right. He could recognize the same fear that had gripped him before stepping into his first Twilight portal, before plunging down a mountain on a shard of ice, before he'd gone into battle against any number of foes. It was just a matter of moving past it.

The Triforce was warm and glowing faintly on his hand as he shifted it from Zelda's back to her breast, rubbing lightly over her skin. He took a deep breath, feeling his heart pound, and welcoming the rush just like he did before any struggle. At least this time, he'd have Zelda with him.

.o0o.

"See, that wasn't so bad…" Ganondorf said with a low chuckle, laying back as he watched them disentangle from each other. Link glanced up, his cheeks flushing red as he sat up and pulled the blankets into his lap defensively.

"No, I suppose it wasn't," Zelda said, shaking her head, a faint smile on her face. She rolled to her stomach, leaning against Link's legs, and looked over at Ganondorf. While it was far from the first time they'd been naked in his presence… it was the first time she'd actually seen _him_ unclothed. His skin was the same rich, dark tone all over, well-peppered with a darker shade of red hair and interrupted only by the jagged, glowing wound in his chest. It made her squirm uneasily to look at it, partially because it was unnatural to have a hole just below one's ribcage, but also because it looked painful, and she didn't like feeling sympathetic towards him.

The silence was clearly stretching on too far for Link's liking, as he shifted slightly and asked, "So, what time do we leave?" It would take almost a full day's ride to get to the edge of the desert, and they had to line up what they could find as an army first.

"So eager to get to work… one would almost think you don't want me here," Ganondorf chuckled, leaning forward and rubbing Link's head, grinning as the hero crossly tried to straighten his disordered hair. "We'll begin inspection of the Knights of Hyrule an hour after full sun," he said, standing up with little apparent concern about his nudity, only doing up the robe as he exited their room.

"Well that was… different," Link said, after Ganondorf was well down the stairs. Zelda laughed and buried her face in the blankets, her giggles only a little on the brittle side.

"I suppose it has been worse," she agreed, tilting her head to the side to peer at him. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know… I think so," Link said. "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting…" He wasn't sure if he really was okay with it, or if he was just numb and would be throwing up in a few hours when it sunk in. "I think I'd like something else in my mouth, though…" He wanted to erase the memory of that flavor from his tongue.

She nodded, and crawled to the edge of the bed, passing him the last pastry from last night's dessert. "Come on, let's get dressed and find some breakfast. We've got an army to assemble." Forgoing the corsets and long dresses today, Zelda pulled on leggings and one of her knee length skirts, lacing on the full set of armor too. Link braided her hair for her again as she attached the intricately tooled metal.

Ganondorf's door was open when they descended the stairs, the Gerudo King seated at his table with arm and leg guards still laid out across the surface. He beckoned them forwards, saying, "I'll need my hair braided… I won't demand full Gerudo ceremonial knots," he added at the look of disbelief he got.

"This is why chainmail is better," Link pointed out about how long it was taking to strap on every piece of plate as Zelda stepped forwards to help cinch up the breastplate bands.

"And who won the fight?" Ganondorf pointed out almost amiably, gesturing for Link to step behind him and start in on his hair. As he had no answer to that, Link just started to braid. His hair was surprisingly soft… somehow, Link hadn't expected any part of the man to be less than hard and coarse. He wasn't nearly as gentle as he was with Zelda's hair, but Ganondorf didn't complain or even flinch away once, just took the finished braid to coil it. He stood and turned to face Link, that mocking, wide grin in place again. "You'll have to pull my hair again sometime, Link… I like that." He laughed at the look of disgust on the boy's face.

"You're supposed to be on my side," Link said accusingly to Zelda, who was biting her lip in an attempt not to grin as she tightened up a forearm greave.

She composed her expression for about a second, then let out a snort of laughter. "I'm so sorry… the look on your face… ahem…" A deep breath later, and she was back to her calmer attitude. "I assume you got the package from the Gorons?" she asked Ganondorf.

"And had yours polished last night," he said, reaching up to a shelf that would take a chair for Link to reach it. "A crown for a crown was the promise, hmm?" he asked, handing her the two smaller circlets. "And yes, Link, you have to."

"It'll show solidarity, and inspire trust and a will to follow," Zelda said, smoothly tucking Link's crown in place and brushing his hair to the side despite his look of discomfort. "Both of which we're going to need. Not to mention I'll feel better with you wearing a helm, even if it is decorative."

"You know, I should demand some sort of ceremony…" Ganondorf said, idly turning the largest crown in his fingers.

Zelda smiled sweetly up at him. "Does that mean you're willing to kneel before me in front of all of Hyrule and swear your everlasting allegiance to me?"

He just stared down at her for a moment, then smiled slowly and set the crown in place. While Link's circlet was designed to fit with his armor, almost blend in, Ganondorf's was clearly a crown. It was a larger echo of Zelda's, a brilliantly flame-red gem in the center for Din. "This will do."

"I thought so," she said cooly.

Apparently still in a good enough mood to be amused instead of insulted, Ganondorf just grinned and reached up to the second shelf, bringing down Zelda's rapier, then the massive Sword of Sages. Carefully, he hooked another belt with the hilt, and dropped the Master Sword into Link's surprised grasp. "We _are_ marching to war. How would it look if neither of you were armed?" Ganondorf pointed out.

It was a tense moment, Ganondorf watching both of them with narrowed eyes. Zelda hooked her scabbard to her belt, keeping one hand on the hilt. It took Link several seconds of furious internal debate, but eventually he shifted his shield, swinging the sword and scabbard into place on his back. It wasn't the time. Not yet. Only after Link lowered his hands and Zelda relaxed her grip did Ganondorf pick up his own scabbard, sheathing the long, white blade.

"Well, shall we go, then?" he asked as if they'd just had a pleasant cup of tea rather than been heartbeats away from killing each other. He made sure Link and Zelda preceded him outside.


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note: Thank you to all of my readers, both the ones I hear regularly from and the ones who just read quietly. I try to respond to everyone who has an account, but for now... Thanks to Sylvia for leaving such a lovely review to lighten my day. And Jupiteritis... man, you have good timing. I JUST got your review._

_Thank you for your patience. Here, have some plot._

"You know, I actually kind of miss going directly outside from here," Zelda mused as they stepped into the newly finished corridor at the base of their tower. "Although I admit this will be much nicer once the seasons turn and it starts getting colder again."

A maid was clearly just on her way up from the kitchens, a basket of steaming meatrolls in her arms, and she curtseyed, handing them to Zelda before turning back to the kitchens. Link grabbed for one eagerly, Ganondorf only a second after him, and Zelda shook her head in disgust. "Don't either of you have any kind of manners?

Link flushed, but Ganondorf laughed. "I'm the exotic barbarian King. It goes with the character. And besides, we're going to speak with what passes for an army in Hyrule. They should be reassured by a warrior's healthy appetite."

"Do you take anything seriously?" Zelda sighed, looking up at him as they walked towards the courtyard.

"I take the two of you extremely seriously," he said, his tone of voice disturbing. Link couldn't tell whether he was being possessive, lewd, dangerous, warning… or Farore forbid, friendly. He sped up his pace and eagerly turned the corner into the daylight of the broad courtyard. It seemed very bright after the stone and wood corridor, and it took a moment to focus on the shining armor on the other side of the field.

"Well, they look impressive," Link observed. Armor for the Knights of Hyrule was a treasured possession for a family to have, and it was cared for meticulously. There were very few new suits in production, since there hadn't been a reason to expand the Knighthood for generations.

"Until you get close," Ganondorf said in a low tone. It was true they resembled a group of civilians lounging around rather than a well-trained army waiting for inspection. Taking a breath, he bellowed, "Form up ranks!"

Link and Zelda both flinched away from him, and the effect on the Knights was instantaneous. They jerked around, jumping off the ground, leaping away from walls, shuffling awkwardly and loudly into some semblance of three lines. Still, once formed up they looked decidedly more like an army, and Ganondorf nodded in acceptance. "I see… sixty eight Knights. Zelda, I admit I was hoping for more."

"We're a peaceful country," she said defensively. "Our last major war was over a century ago, and the Knights are largely a ceremonial and policing force."

"Nonetheless, Your Majesty," one of the younger Knights spoke up proudly, "We've always proudly kept training to serve our country!"

"You did so well against the Twilight invasion," Ganondorf said cooly, making the Knights shift and mutter amongst themselves. Link heard Zelda saying something sharp to the Gerudo in a low voice, but didn't pause to hear what it was.

Instead, he stepped forwards before he could think about it and nerve himself out of speaking. "You did the best you could against an enemy you couldn't touch. There was nothing more you could have done." He swallowed, glancing around at the dead silence that greeted his words. Still, talking to soldiers was easier than a mass group of people so large he couldn't even comprehend them. "But we'll be going up against flesh and blood foes this time… the kind you don't need magic to hit."

He managed not to flinch at the pounding of mailed fists on shields, grateful when Zelda stepped up beside him, squeezing his hand softly before starting to speak herself. "We are calling upon you to protect your family, your home. With luck and the Gods on our side, we can avoid a conflict entirely… you are our failsafe, not our first option.

"Ten of you will be coming with us to the meeting with the invading forces, along with five warriors each from the Gerudo, Goron, and Zora clans," she continued. "The intent is that we will discuss a way to deflect this war before it begins, and you will be a representative of the best our joined nations have to offer."

"That is not to say that there is no danger," Ganondorf said, although his glower slowly shifted to a grin. "But if there is battle to be had, we will all be facing it together. Even if negotiations fail, we can eliminate their leaders and destroy their will to fight."

One didn't even have to see him in combat to be reassured the thought of fighting beside Ganondorf rather than against him, Zelda reflected. The gathered Knights certainly looked relieved. At the call for volunteers, they ended up with enough they could pick and choose, Ganondorf selecting their guard while Zelda made arrangements for where to deploy the rest of the Knights.

The Gerudo had already been briefed on the situation and required no extra preparation. The women who had been such efficient carpenters over the last week now looked like the warriors they'd spent a lifetime training to be, each one with twin curved sabres strapped to their backs. Some had nearly full sets of armor, others appeared to prefer to fight in light, loose clothing that gave them full freedom of movement. Five of the most spectacular female warriors were already saddling up Bullbos for the trip. While the massive boars were better suited to the desert, there was no doubt they made for an intimidating cavalry. Most of the Gerudo in Hyrule proper were already dispatched into the countryside to set up defensive lines, and there were twice their number still in the desert, although not all were active warriors. Still, any Gerudo would contest that if one of their tribe was capable of picking up a sword, they were also very capable of using it.

Zelda wasn't entirely sure what to think of that. She'd been trained from a young age, of course, but she'd also been trained in healing arts, dancing, poetry, politics, speechmaking, and numerous other things a ruler needed to know. Swordplay was only a small part of her training, and she knew her experience was unique. She'd seen children playing with mock wooden swords… but the people of Hyrule weren't professionally trained to fight unless they applied to join the Knighthood. The focus of their lives was farming, or crafting, or building families, not war. Her people were happy, and yet… now they were horribly vulnerable because of it.

The sight of the Goron contingent was another bolstering addition, rolling into the courtyard and uncurling once they were close to Zelda. About half of them were unarmed, although being constructed of granite meant that even an unarmed punch was quite a blow. The remainder curled around hammers or clubs, mostly things that would be as at home inside a forge as on a battlefield. Picking the five most intimidating, she dispatched the rest into groups of four, assigning each a Hylian Knight. With the Knight mounted, they would be able to cover a lot of ground, relying on the Hylian's familiarity with the area to ensure they had an efficient cordon outside of Castletown.

The Zora warriors would mostly stay in Lake Hylia and the surrounding tributaries, where they were at their strongest. They'd meet the group of five warriors to join their delegation on the far side of the Lake, and Prince Ralis was on his way to Hyrule Castle to help Zelda's own advisors and the leader of the Knighthood govern Hyrule until the Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf returned. She wasn't happy about leaving her capital without one of the official leaders in place, but Ganondorf had to come for obvious reasons, she would need Link's support, and she didn't trust either of them to negotiate properly, even without Midna's plans.

No, this was the only option available to them, as risky and unnerving as it was. Thanks to Link's warning, the main Goron population would be watching to the south, and Ganondorf was sending his swiftest warriors to join their lines, just in case they couldn't stop this war before it swept over Hyrule. Reassuring herself for what seemed like the hundredth time since learning of the impending invasion, Zelda turned to where stable attendants and Knights were helping to pack up the horses.

They were very nearly emptying the royal stables on this jaunt, Hyrule didn't have a large number of horses, it wasn't required for such a small country. Farmers used goats, oxen, or donkeys as beasts of burden, and even most messengers tended to travel on foot. Ganondorf was just swinging up on a massive black stallion that she remembered was several hands taller even than Epona, a creature that must have come from a distant land. She and Link would both be on matching greys, which was entirely an appearance choice rather than a comfort. As usual, Link looked comfortable in the saddle, although she knew he'd rather be on Epona. Zelda was just happy with how much easier it was to ride in a shorter skirt and leggings, climbing to her saddle with far more ease than usual.

She supposed as war arrangements went, they had gotten moving fairly well. They were finally on their way before high noon, and by crossing Lake Hylia over the bridge, they could cut two hours off of their travel time. The Zora delegation met them at the farthest east curve of the lake, wanting to remain in water as long as possible. They were all at least capable of riding horses. The sense of discomfort she felt wasn't about the delegation or how long the journey was taking… it was all about what was going to happen at the end of it.

The idea was that they would stop at a place they felt suitable for both diplomacy and fighting, and Midna's group would approach. The moment the Twilight Princess was in range, she would attack, hopefully quickly enough to take Ganondorf out without a massive, drawn out scene. After that, negotiation would be very short, Midna would hand over the Fused Shadow to be destroyed, the invading armies would turn back, and they could all go home, and both she and Link would be free of Ganondorf's clutches.

She wanted that very, very badly.

That was the best case scenario, though. Zelda knew better than to assume things would go exactly how they hoped, especially when a being such as Ganondorf was involved. He was not easy to kill, any historian knew that. And if that wasn't enough, Midna, Link, and Zelda had all failed in succession to kill him… she could only hope that all three of them could manage it.

Even coming to the decision to go along with Midna's plan had been a hard one. Because no matter how badly she wanted to be rid of the Gerudo King, he_ hadn't_ thrown Hyrule into chaos, started killing people, writing power-hungry laws… true to his word, he hadn't been acting the enemy, at least not to her people. And that was one reason why she'd asked him so specifically about what his plans for Hyrule were. At least this way, if she failed and all three of them were killed, at least her country would be safe, for a while.

Something about Ganondorf was… unnerving. It wasn't just that he was cruel and did awful things to them in private, either. He was powerful, yes, and intelligent. But he was also impulsive, and driven by his passions, and he needed to have checks and balances in place if he was going to _hold_ that power. She didn't want to leave him in charge of her country indefinitely, especially not on his own. Someday, he would get bored, or impatient, or want more, and end up running Hyrule into the ground. That was why she was willing to risk this plan of Midna's.

Still, she wasn't certain enough to give her any peace of mind, and she was glad when Link suggested they stop for the night. At least setting up camp and talking with the people riding with them was something else to think about. And after one of the Gorons passed her a bowl full of spiced meat and rice, she realized a lot of her mood was just hunger.

She felt immensely more optimistic with a full stomach, and swapping tales and songs around a campfire was just as helpful. Zelda thoroughly enjoyed the scandalized looks on the Knights' faces when she happily memorized the words to a bawdy Gerudo drinking song, and decided that there were good things indeed about having the women around, even if she wasn't fond of their males.

Finally feeling good enough to retire for the night, Zelda withdrew to her tent. She'd just unbuckled her sword belt when she heard a sound she hadn't at all expected on the edge of Lanayru Desert; the instantly recognizable hail of the postman. "HHEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"Curious, she came out to find the man just entering the circle of firelight and dropping to his knees, panting harder than she'd ever seen him.

"Just ran… clear around the lake…" he gasped, gratefully taking someone's water skin "Princess? Link?" he asked, already having seen Ganondorf's massive bulk on the other side of the fire. Once they both came around to his field of vision, he sat back, taking a deep breath.

"I'm officially delivering from Gor Coron at Death Mountain," he started. "But there was no time for a note. Message is as follows:

" 'Link, I hate to have to tell you I failed. You warned us there was an army in the south, but we never dreamed they'd come right up through Ordon without even stopping. We're holding them in the canyons, but we've not no chance to get back into Ordon province. Kakariko village is safe in the mines with us, none of us are going anywhere.' "

Complete silence greeted the end of his recitation, and the postman gulped, taking another sip of water. "I… I went south to see how bad it was. I couldn't get close, there were soldiers everywhere. I've been going all out since to try and catch you before the summit."

Newcomers to Hyrule occasionally wondered how the Postman always knew exactly where to find people. Zelda simply put it down to a blessing from Farore, since he also never got lost and could run faster and longer than even mounted cavalry. And the goddesses certainly had a stake in this, with all three chosen active on the field. Abruptly aware that the silence was still dragging on, Zelda forced herself to step forwards, resting a cool hand lightly on his hot, sweating shoulder. "Thank you. We owe you… probably more than we can even understand at this moment. Please, take whatever refreshment you need, and you may have use of my tent for as long as you need to rest." It was a mark of how exhausted the man was that he just nodded tiredly and let her lead him away, still clutching the water skin and a bread roll someone had pressed into his hand.

She returned to the campfire to see Link sitting stunned by the fire, Naburia sitting with an arm wrapped around him, Ganondorf pacing, looking as if he was ready to charge off and destroy something, probably all of Holodrum. "Link… Link come on." She felt guilty interrupting his thoughts, but she needed him to focus. Taking his hand, she drew him up, her heart aching at the way he stumbled across the ground after her. Steeling herself, she reached up and grabbed Ganondorf's arm on his next angry stomping past.

As she'd expected, he turned to her with a furious snarl in place. Zelda managed to not flinch away, and said calmly, "We need to talk." Ganondorf drew a deep breath, then exhaled and appeared to calm slightly. He nodded, and gestured towards his tent. It wasn't as if any of them were particularly more ornate or comfortable than the others, Zelda had wanted speed over waiting for a royal procession, but at least his was relatively private and large enough for the three of them to talk in comfortably.

Link's fingers were painfully tight on hers, but she wouldn't have pulled her hand free for any reason. Once inside the tent, she touched the gem on her crown, willing it to glow, and hung it on the central pole. Maybe not the most dignified option, but it took the least energy, and Zelda did _not_ want to waste her magic now. She had a terrible feeling she was going to need every bit of it.

The soft blue light wasn't particularly flattering for any of them. Link's already pale face looked ghastly, and Ganondorf was almost completely a shadow, just his eyes and jewelry glittering in the light. She didn't expect Link to speak first, but he did, his voice a pained whisper. "She said they'd wait. She said they wouldn't invade until we… until we talked."

"You had better not be about to advise caution and diplomacy, Princess," Ganondorf said darkly, his teeth flashing in the faint light, making him look more demonic than ever. "I will not tolerate an attack on my lands."

She still hated him referring to Hyrule as his… but at this exact moment, it worked in her favor. "I wasn't," she said, feeling terrible about the whole situation. "But if Midna gave her word to Link, I don't think she'd break it."

"She clearly has!" Ganondorf snarled, and this time Zelda couldn't stop flinching back.

"My home's been invaded!" Link added, his shock starting to shift to anger.

"And have either of you thought that perhaps she had nothing to do with it?" Zelda countered before she lost her nerve. "Even a Twili can't be in two locations at once, and she has two armies to run."

Link paused, the anger shifting just as quickly to confusion. "You… you think she's lost control of them?" He wasn't sure which idea was worse. At least he knew Midna, the thought that he had no idea who had destroyed his childhood home was a whole different kind of scary.

"I think it's a possibility," she said, rubbing her temples. "This… this changes everything."

Much to her relief, when Ganondorf next spoke, his voice was quieter, calmer again. "Indeed it does. For one, I assume you won't all be trying to kill me now."

"We… but… how did you know?" Link asked, at first defensive, then just resigned.

"It's what I would do in your position," he said, shrugging and not seeming to care. "Well now. Since your original plans seem to have fallen through, we appear to be back to what I've been saying all along. I am not your enemy. Can we agree on that now?"


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: As always, thank you so much to everyone who reads, follows, and reviews this story. I'm pleased so many people are enjoying it._

"Korbor, respond."

It was the fifth time Midna had sent to her lieutenant. Most of the Twili were still in the Twilight Realm, ready to appear in Hyrule wherever they were most needed, but several were spread out with the armies of Holodrum and Labrynna. Being able to communicate effortlessly, even travel almost instantaneously, was a gift peculiar to the Twili, and it had been of immense help so far.

It had actually been the deciding factor in convincing the two nations to ally with her, that and her knowledge of Hyrule itself. Being powerful mages was also important, especially when invading a country like Hyrule, but it was their unique ability to communicate securely and quickly that had really gained her their alliance. It meant the closer Labrynna could coordinate to arrive at the same time as Holodrum's experienced army, to hold Hyrule helpless between two forces and force a surrender.

Midna had stayed with Labrynna's army, since it would be travelling through the wasteland guarded by Gerudo and it would be needing the extra defense. They had been large enough to keep scouting parties from trying to attack, and the occasional display of Twilight magic had been more than enough to discourage any more concerted attempt.

However, this meant that she'd had to leave the guidance of Holodrum's force mostly to another Twili. Korbor had been an old friend of hers before her exile by Zant, and she'd been pleased to find him still alive. He was a very adept mage, but more importantly, shared her belief that capturing Hyrule was preferable to destroying it. They had been in very regular contact since the armies began their march… until now.

"Damn you Korbor, where are you?" Midna hissed, trying to force contact with any of the Twili in the Holodrum contingent. She didn't want to risk any more of her people if something had gone wrong… perhaps the Ordon spirit was interfering with their magic. That could explain it… but Midna couldn't shake the worry settled into the pit of her stomach.

0

Link wasn't sure how long they'd stayed in Ganondorf's tent talking. Long enough that the moon had moved more than a handspan in the sky, at least. He felt… well, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt.

First, there was anger and fear about Ordon. Was the village safe? Were his friends alive, had they escaped, were they being held prisoner? How many other small settlements and farming communities had been taken hostage? Too many questions, and no way to get answers. Only the Twili could transport across a country in the blink of an eye, and scrying had shown only nightmarish glimpses of bodies and flaming houses in the darkness.

He was worried about what this meant about Midna. Had she betrayed them all? Had she always planned to? Or as Zelda suggested, had she just lost control of her armies? And if that was the case, how would they manage? They didn't have the strength to fight off two armies in completely different directions, and Link was agonizing about being on the wrong side of Lake Hylia from the battling.

For the first time since he'd learned of his existence, Link found he had no intention of killing Ganondorf now. The Gerudo was his best bet at rescuing his friends if they were even still alive, and by far he was their best shot at keeping Labrynna's army from boiling into Hyrule from the east. Their own sentries had spotted campfires far distant in the night, and a party of Gerudo scouts had arrived an hour or so ago to report on their exact position and numbers. It was not encouraging, they were outnumbered at least ten to one, although they were still several hours of travel away.

So both he and Zelda had agreed to not try and kill him. Ever since, Link had felt oddly heavy. Not reluctant, he had no thoughts that siding with Ganondorf was the wrong course. He'd been glad to get out into the open air with Zelda, after far too long discussing battle strategies, abilities they'd kept to themselves, discussion about what they would be doing about Midna. Ganondorf's vote was to kill her flat out, Zelda refusing to make a decision about it until they'd spoken to her. Link was surprised to find himself… well he didn't really want to kill her without a chance to ask why she'd done it, but he was angry enough that he wasn't really planning to defend her either.

Link reflected that yesterday, if you'd asked him what his plans would be if he got to spend the night alone with Zelda, they would have included a lot of nakedness and laughing and delight. Tonight, though, he had no intention of taking off his chainmail, and Zelda likewise only unbuckled the most awkward pieces of armor. He groaned as he unbuckled his sword belt, easing it to the ground with a feeling of relief. It was oddly heavy in his hand, although it didn't hit the ground any harder than usual.

He put it out of his mind, just enjoying the feeling of lightness as he lay down beside Zelda, draping an arm over her as she curled against him, seeking warmth or reassurance or just the closeness of someone she trusted. They talked for a bit in the dark, but it had mostly all been said already. "You'll watch out for me tomorrow?" she asked softly as she was drifting off to sleep.

"Of course," he replied, kissing her ear softly and shifting into a more comfortable position beside her. Even if he was still uneasy about a lot, the one thing he was positive about was that he'd protect Zelda with everything he had. It wasn't exactly a happy thought, but it was at least something solid and true that didn't make him feel awkward at all, and focusing on it let him drop off to sleep.

Not that he slept well, haunted by images of the children from his village killed or dying, of his home burning, the rest of Hyrule devastated by shadowy armies he couldn't quite see. He'd see Zelda cut down, or blasted by dark magic or captured and used by dark enemies and he'd jerk awake, feeling her warm soft body against him, and slowly ease back asleep again.

When an oddly familiar, translucent spirit wafted into the newest unhappy dream, Link didn't even react at first. Somehow, her presence filled him with reassurance, until he stopped and actually looked at the faceless blue sprite. "Master, what have you done?" she asked, although he couldn't say why he was so certain it was female.

"I don't know what you mean," Link answered, confused. The spirit was flickering, faint, like a candle in a breeze. "Who are you?"

"I have been with you since I freed you from a beast's form," she replied, and he was chilled to realize she wasn't speaking modern Hylian, although many of the words sounded almost familiar. And yet he could understand it perfectly. "I do not have the strength to speak for long, so listen well. Long ago, I was forged to defend Hyrule from the Lord of Darkness, the Demon King. I was forged for the Hero of Farore, and have ever since served him when needed. So I ask you again, why have you abandoned your fight?"

"You're the Master Sword," Link said, finally comprehending. "And you're created to fight Ganondorf…."

"Master, I could predict no reason to ally with the Demon King. Why would you do this?" Her form flickered more, fading into the background.

"Because he's no longer Hyrule's enemy," Link said, feeling a bit of surprise as he did. He hadn't said it before, hadn't even thought it. But he realized now that he did believe it. Ganondorf might be _his_ enemy, Link still hated him… but Hyrule itself needed him, had nothing to fear from the Gerudo.

"Then I can no longer serve you…" she whispered, fading to almost nothingness. "My form is still a sword and that you may use, Hero of Farore. But I will await the next Hero, the one who will oppose the Demon King as is right…"

Link awoke to the first beginnings of daylight, Zelda just stirring beside him. He reached instinctively for his sword, breathing a sigh of relief to still find it there. He wouldn't have been surprised to find it gone, but it was solid and cold under his fingers, reassuring and banishing the disturbing dream. It wasn't as heavy this morning either as he buckled it on… although it didn't feel quite right, a little too cold, a little foreign. He shook off the worry as nerves, there was certainly plenty to be nervous about in the coming day.

Combing Zelda's hair was calming, soothing for both of them. He could see some of the tension easing out of her as his fingers twisted her hair gently into a braid, and he pulled her back against him for a moment, just holding her. She reached up, squeezing his arms softly, then pulled away and stood up. "Let's go," she said, nodding to him.

Outside, the camp was just starting to awaken, the last shift of sentries stoking up the fires to cook breakfast. The sky was mostly clear, just a few high clouds painting pink and orange in the rising sun. In the daylight, Labrynna's army was too distant to make out yet, although Zelda knew that would change as they started to march. The dust kicked up in the desert bowl would be easily visible well before the people themselves would be.

"Eat something," Ganondorf said, moving up beside them. "I need you both at your best today." Zelda wasn't sure whether she was relieved or worried to see him looking quiet and pensive. It meant he was taking this seriously… but seeing him arrogant and cocky would go a long way towards making her feel reassured right about now.

"Do you really think we can do this?" Zelda asked softly, quiet enough that the rest of camp wouldn't here.

"I think we don't have a choice," Ganondorf pointed out. "But yes. Yes, we can." Last night, they'd sent one of the Gorons back to call up the groups of fighters behind them. They'd need the reinforcements, since they had no intention of letting Labrynna across the borders. They couldn't fight two armies at once, so Ganondorf's plan had been to demolish them here in the desert, and force them back, so they could race down around Lake Hylia and start to drive out the forces in Ordon. The Zora warriors had left last night, to instruct their people to do what they could to slow them down.

He wasn't hungry, but Link knew he'd need the energy, so he forced down breakfast anyway, putting on as calm a face as he could. Even he could see the nervousness in the rest of the group too, so he kept his worries from showing. He couldn't quite manage a smile… but that would probably seem reckless or uncaring anyway, so he did do his best to look ready for what was coming.

They were just packing up camp when the first plumes of dust were sighted out in the desert. "Let's go choose our battleground," Zelda said. She'd be letting Ganondorf and Link pick the site, of course, they both had far more familiarity with fighting a battle than she did. With the Gerudo warriors' guidance, they soon arrived at a place Ganondorf deemed suitable. It was a small hill, covered at least partially in tough desert-stunted grasses and plants, and would give them firm footing, surrounded by featureless sandy plain that their enemies would have to cross.

"I think this will do," Ganondorf said, pacing over the hill, liking the slight advantage of height and the solid advantage of good footing. The hill was a little smaller than the courtyard in Hyrule castle, and not exactly welcoming… but it would do well for a battleground. "Link, go ahead and summon them." He directed a Gerudo to take most of the horses somewhere safe, probably a canyon. With the exception of his stallion, none of them were warhorses, and would be a liability more than an asset.

They'd decided last night to proceed at first as if nothing had changed, and that assumed that Midna was waiting for Link to call her. A bit hesitantly, Link slipped his hand into one of his pouches, brushing over the Twilight gem Ganondorf had tucked carefully in place. The familiar twist of Twilight magic gripped him, his Triforce flaring hot for a moment, and then he was on four legs, viewing the world as a wolf again. The desert air smelled far richer to his nose, the ground pleasantly warm under his paws, and the shocked, scared responses from their Knights and Gorons clear to his ears.

Zelda laughed, breaking the tension, and walked over to rub Link behind the ears. Her complete lack of fear did as much to relax their allies as her words did, explaining what had happened. Link licked her hand and trotted to the tallest part of the hill. He took in a deep breath and started to howl, deciding on the simple, sweet lullaby he'd sung in the Sacred Grove. It would be recognizeable to Midna, but shouldn't sound too unnatural to anyone else. After three repetitions, Link stretched, and tried to shift back. His eyes flew open with surprise to find himself still in wolf form, and tried again.

Suddenly realizing that dream last night might have been more real than he liked, he trotted down to Zelda, nosing at her hand. She frowned slightly, but a touch of her magic had him reverting back to his human form with a sigh of relief. Ganondorf was directing their little army into defensive positions, leaving them a few moments of privacy. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"I couldn't change myself back," he whispered back. "Zelda… I think it's because of last night." He quickly outlined the dream as much as he could recall, sharing his suspicion that the sword itself refused to ally with Ganondorf.

"I don't like the idea of you going into battle unprotected," Zelda said. She didn't suggest there must be a way to fix it. She knew they couldn't give up the alliance now.

"It's still a sword," Link said, drawing it to reassure himself as much as Zelda. "And I could wield a sword long before I got this one. It'll be fine." The hilt felt cold in his hand, but not actively wrong, and it wasn't dragging him down to the earth anymore either. "Plus, I still have a bow."

"True enough," she agreed, still unsettled by the revelation. "Still, it could be worse. At least the Goddesses still clearly favor you."

Link smiled, feeling cheered by that reminder. He had turned into a wolf, and the Triforce was still warm on his hand. "That's true," he said. "We can do this."

"Good to see you're feeling optimistic," Ganondorf said, striding over and looking more energized as the dust cloud heralding the army approached. "Zelda, you should be mounted for this."

"No. Link should," she said instantly.

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "Link is just as effective on foot as he is on a horse," he pointed out curiously.

"His sword doesn't like you," Zelda said flatly. "And I'm worried it's going to fail him at the worst possible moment."

"I think it's just gone dormant," Link said. "Really, it's fine. I can still use the sword, it just won't work as a source of magic for me anymore."

"Interesting," Ganondorf mused, looking thoughtfully at the sword strapped to Link's back. He was tempted to touch it now, just to see what would happen, but decided not to push his luck, or risk forcing the sword into being completely unusable for Link. "But he's right. I've fought you before, Zelda… and you're much better off mounted. Don't worry, he'll take good care of you, and he's almost as good in sand as he is on firmer ground." He dropped a hand onto her shoulder and guided her over to the waiting stallion.

"Svartur, this is Zelda. You take care of her as you do me." He said firmly, both hands holding Zelda possessively against him. The stallion stepped forwards, snuffling curiously to learn her scent, then nuzzled one of Ganondorf's hands. He broke into a smile and rubbed the velvety black nose, releasing Zelda and glancing down at her. "Of course, I'll be quite put out if you get him injured, so you'd better guard him well."

"I'm sure we'll get along famously," Zelda said, an odd smile playing at her lips as she stroked the great horse's neck. It was a little odd to see him being so possessive, so openly caring about something. She reflected that he treated her and Link much the same… well, now that he was done beating them into obedience anyway. Being treated as a possession wasn't exactly her favourite relationship style, but at least they were prized possessions. And if that was what it took to keep Hyrule safe, then she'd let herself be owned.

Waiting was hard, Link reflected. He'd never waited for a battle before, he'd always charged in, and he was fighting to resist the urge to do the same thing now. He'd checked carefully over his bow and Zelda's, ensuring both quivers were stocked and ready for use. His vial of red potion was in a pouch, well padded this time to help keep it from breaking if he fell again. It wouldn't truly heal him from an injury, but it would slow bleeding to a trickle and energize him, and every member of their group had a dose of the precious liquid. In the past, it had gotten him through plenty of tough places to a time he could rest.

He'd jerked up, an arrow in his bow when there were suddenly warriors right at the foot of the hill, but relaxed as he realized they were more Gerudo, coming to shore up their defenses… and force the incoming army to meet them here. Ganondorf sent them out into the desert to either side almost immediately, and soon there were spiked walls, caltrops, and angry bullbos scattered throughout, making a wide funnel leading to the island. He saw Zelda riding out along the lines on Ganondorf's massive horse, but he wasn't sure if she was casting magic or just speaking with the warriors.

The first wave of Hylian reinforcements arrived, a dozen of the nearest Knights, which caused both a great cheering up and a bit of depression as Labrynna's force finally came into view. Their own small defense seemed impossibly tiny, and the marching army seemed almost neverending. They stopped when they were just out of archery range, and a small convoy continued forwards, five or six people. Link wasn't sure whether the brilliant orange of Midna's hair among them was a relief or a disappointment, but he felt an odd sense of peace anyways as Ganondorf swung him up behind Zelda and they walked to the bottom of the hill to meet them. One way or another, their questions were about to be answered.


	23. Chapter 23

Zelda edged the massive stallion forwards a bit, so he'd have room to move properly if he needed to. It was strange to be on a height with Ganondorf, and she felt a smile tugging at her lips as she glanced over him. Turning back to the approaching convoy, though, the amusement faded as fast as it had come. She reached back with her hand, touching Link's leg, and he gripped her hand reassuringly. His bow was strung on the left, her longer one on the right of the saddle, and they were both armored and armed past that… but Zelda was still determined to avoid a fight.

She kept a steady grip on Link's hand, willing him to stay silent and patient. Ganondorf had agreed to hold back until she'd bargained for peace… or in his words, failed to do so, but Link was still tense with anger and grief and worry. "You trespass on Hylian lands, carrying weapons of war," she said, her voice clear in the echoingly silent desert. "We do not wish a conflict, but we will defend ourselves."

There were three guards, two in Labrynna blue and one with Holodrum gold, each standing protectively in front of his liege. Midna sat proud and graceful on her own, the desert sun making her blue skin bright and her hair glow. Ganondorf's old crown was braided into her hair, and suited her oddly well. "You're outnumbered," one of the lords said, his face mostly hidden behind a crested helm. Zelda faintly recognized him as the oldest son of the Labrynna royal family, Guens, she thought. "Badly outnumbered. Surrender your lands, Princess, and we'll let your people live."

There was an angry rumble from behind her, and Zelda allowed it for a moment before raising a hand for silence. "Hyrule will not become a colony for Labrynna, or any other nation," she said calmly. "However, if you withdraw from Hyrule, you will be allowed to depart in peace. I swear that."

"Where's the representative from Holodrum?" Ganondorf demanded, not quite cutting her off. Zelda raised a hand and pointed to the envoy from Holodrum, standing at the back of the group. "You. Come up and speak."

He walked his horse around to the side of the convoy, and Zelda frowned. "I am not sure we have met." While Hyrule and Holodrum weren't on great speaking terms, she was at least acquainted with the royal family, and this person was only faintly familiar.

"I'm Duke Solon. King Gammna is my uncle, although he's like a father to me. He trusts me with this mission!" His voice was surprisingly high and young, and he sounded like he was trying very hard to be responsible. Zelda sagged just a little, starting to suspect what was actually going on… and realizing that the boy in front of her probably had no chance of surviving the next several hours.

"Your uncle is a coward of the worst kind," Ganondorf said in a low growl, folding his arms. Gerudo expected their daughters to fight, but would never sacrifice one as a decoy. "I pity you."

"Pity me? I'm the official envoy! My mission is of the utmost importance!"

"If you're so important, why are you waiting up here while your army invades my home?" Link snapped, making Zelda sigh a little. Well, at least he'd held out a few minutes.

"What?" The envoy looked even more like a child with the surprise crossing his face. "We would never do something so dishonorable as…"

Zelda turned to Midna, ignoring him. Poor Solon was unimportant, didn't even know what his older, more canny relatives had done. "Midna, you've got twenty seconds." The tension was building fast enough Zelda doubted she could keep either side calm for more than thirty.

The Twilight Princess had gone pale, her eyes wide with worry and sorrow. "I swear I had no intention of destroying Ordon. I've been out of contact with my people in the Holodrum army since late yesterday afternoon. I…" she broke off, the proud woman clearly wrestling with what she was about to say. "Princess, I throw myself and my people to your mercy. We withdraw our quarrel with Hyrule… and all her rulers."

She swung down from her horse and handed the reins over to Duke Solon, who looked stunned at what was going on. Prince Guens, on the other hand, drew his sword, shouting furiously, "How dare you turn your back on your allies, cowardly Twilight bitch?"

Zelda kneed Svartur, and the stallion willingly pranced forwards, stopping perfectly so Zelda's rapier just crossed the Prince's sword. "I hearby grant Princess Midna and the rest of the Twili asylum. Now turn around and get out of my country. I have more pressing things to deal with."

For a moment, just one moment, she thought it might actually work. If she was speaking with one of Guens' less hot-headed younger brothers, it probably would have. She saw Midna taking the chance to ease towards the Hylian party, but then Duke Solon had to go and speak up… she wasn't sure if he was actually planning to side with her or Guens, but it broke his concentration and the Prince cut him off before he got more than three words in. "No! Never! We came here to conquer, and we will! Soldiers of Labrynna, attack!"

Zelda raised her blade defensively, but the Prince's battlecry died with a gurgle, one of Link's arrows sprouting from his throat. She could feel him shifting behind her, then his arm was back around her waist, and she swung Svartur around, bringing him back behind Hylian lines.

Between the hill and the horse, she and Link had an excellent vantage point to shoot from. His shorter bow gave him a quicker rate of fire, but Zelda had far better range, picking out the enemy archers before they could get in range themselves.

He really needed a bigger quiver, Link thought to himself, reaching for his last arrow and sending it over the shoulder of one of their Gorons, dropping the soldier threatening him. "Stay safe," he said in Zelda's ear, kissing her cheek before dropping to the ground and drawing his sword.

"You too!" she called after him, sending another arrow into the crowd. Although logically she knew how many soldiers had been taken down, they seemed not to make a dent in the army, swirling around the base of the hill. The Gerudo traps were mostly keeping the army centered, so they couldn't be surrounded, but Zelda saw a phalanx struggling through. If they were surrounded…

She set her bow in her lap and raised her hands, concentrating. The group picking their way through suddenly started to yell in panic as the sand shifted under them, going impossibly soft. They stayed, some sunk deep enough to suffocate, others with their heads just above the sand, but all of them a warning about the perils of crossing that way. It was a bit of a bluff, Zelda didn't have the energy to keep the spell constantly active, but it should do for now. Their own soldiers had been instructed to keep well clear of her spelled areas, meaning she could activate them whenever needed. And she did, at random, trying to sow confusion as much as devastation among the enemy.

Ganondorf was right in the middle of the fight, standing head and shoulders above even the tallest knights, and mowing through enemy soldiers with almost gleeful abandon. Between the sword almost as long as the average soldier and the Triforce of power enhancing his strength well past mortal limits, he was a terror on the battlefield. Link had never thought he'd be glad of that fact, but it meant their small force had an immovable anchor, and he certainly gave heart to the soldiers fighting beside him.

Link had never been in such a loud battle. He'd fought multiple opponents before, but never on a scale like this. The clanging of metal and shouts and screams were deafening, and everything was just a giant mess. At least the invaders wore decidedly different armor from the Hylians, Gerudo, or Gorons, which meant he could make sure to only hit enemies. It actually felt good to be in a fight again, with an enemy he could kill and people to protect. His shield and sword were familiar in his hands, the act of dodging and parrying and blocking and striking were second nature. Here, amidst the chaos and pain of a battle, everything finally felt at peace in his mind.

He rolled and darted around an armoured foe, slicing in where the armor was weaker at the waist. A choking gasp from behind made him turn to see another enemy fall, one of Zelda's long arrows piercing right through the leather jerkin. Apparently that longbow really did make for a more powerful shot. He raised his sword briefly in thanks, didn't bother looking for her through the crowd. She'd already be moving, not presenting a still target. He didn't let himself worry for her. She was smart and capable, and although it felt disloyal to think it, that stallion was a match for Epona. She'd be safe.

A rumbling yell drew his attention to where one of the Goron smiths had fallen to one knee. He swung wildly, the wickedly spiked gauntlet on his fist keeping his foes at bay, but there was a broken spear shaft under one shoulder, keeping him from curling up defensively. Link vaulted right over a panicked horse that had tripped over a fallen soldier, and put all his weight behind his shield. Granted, he wasn't exactly a heavyweight, but it was still enough to make the solder stumble back and lose his footing, making a killing blow simple.

By the time he turned back, the Goron had already pulled the shaft free and was standing. Thick blackish blood was already clotting around the wound, which didn't seem to be paining him much anymore, and then Link was too busy dodging another sword strike to worry about him anymore. He knocked it aside with his shield, sweeping in low with his sword, and almost fell flat on his face as pain exploded in the side of his head. Turning, he caught sight of a massive soldier with a mace, and barely got his shield up in time for the next strike. Seeing the spikes on the weapon, and feeling a tickling warmth on his cheek, Link grudgingly had to admit the crown had probably just saved his skull.

He was struggling to get out from under the weight of that too-powerful blow when a massive, darkly glowing fist came out of nowhere and flung the solder far back into enemy ranks. Link looked back over his shoulder to see Midna raise a hand to him and then dissolve neatly before a soldier could skewer her. Taking a moment to breathe, since no one seemed to be actively attacking him, Link looked around, trying to judge the battle. Ganondorf was visible in glimpses through the melee, Zelda was traceable by the piercing whinnies of Svartur, who was probably having a great deal of fun trampling soldiers underfoot. She must have run out of arrows by now, and would be using her rapier from horseback. He couldn't see Midna herself, but caught glimpses of her peculiar magic dotted around the field, mostly concentrating near Zelda.

That was the good news, sadly. While they were clearly making a dent in Labrynna's ranks, ten to one was still an almost impossibly huge force to overcome, and the Knights' inexperience was showing. There were a lot of soldiers in Labrynna blue on the ground, but far too many silver-armored bodies lay among them. The Gorons and Gerudo seemed to be faring better due to physical stamina and proper experience, but then was too busy defending himself as the next wave of Labrynna forces crashed into them for more consideration.

He lost track of how long they'd been fighting, but the cut in his scalp had finally stopped bleeding, mostly. At one point, Zelda and Svartur had leapt clear over his head, giving him a few moments to catch his breath, and one of Ganondorf's massive balls of darkness had flattened a dozen enemies to his left, but aside from the surprisingly scantily clad Gerudo currently at his back, he hadn't seen any of his allies in some time. From the sounds of battle, there were still enough Hylians to put up a good fight, but he was starting to think they'd never kill enough enemies to make a difference. They just kept coming in fresh waves, while there was just nobody to replace the tired defenders.

Link had just dispatched another soldier when his left arm exploded in pain. The Master Sword fell from nerveless fingers, and he realized dazedly that he'd fallen and hit the ground, and narrowly avoided slicing himself on his own blade in the process. Trying to move his sword arm to push himself up made him scream and almost black out, so he eased himself over onto his back instead. That hurt almost as bad, as his arm dragged limply over onto his chest. He looked up at the soldier standing above him, the axe raised above his head, and thought he really ought to be getting out of the way, but couldn't seem to move quickly enough to do anything about it.

There was abruptly an angry roar and something black and massive blocking out the sun. Link looked up bewildered to see Ganondorf standing over him, the Sword of Sages drove right through the plate mail of the axe wielder. "Drink that damn potion before you bleed out, Link!" he snarled, tearing his sword free and swinging it into the next enemy.

Potion. Right. That would help… His left arm flatly refused to move, numb and cold now, so Link fumbled awkwardly at his belt with his shield hand, his fingers feeling fuzzy and weak. Luckily, working the cork free was something he had a lot of practice with, and the familiar too-sweet, oddly thick potion worked as well as it ever did.

He managed to keep his voice down to a groan as the insulating fog around his mind and body dissolved, leaving him with the raw agony of his wound. He must have been in worse shape than he thought to be in this much pain after a dose. At least he had the energy to move again now, and he looked reluctantly down. This was hardly the first time he'd been injured, but it had never been quite this… graphic before. He could see bone, and his hand was facing completely the wrong way, and his sleeve was soaked through with blood, and it would clearly take a lot more than one vial of potion to fix. The only problem was that he was in the middle of a fight and Ganondorf was already being forced away from him. He could feel Zelda was far, too far to get over to him and he wouldn't want her to spend that much of her magic on him in this mess anyway.

Out of other options, Link awkwardly picked up the Master Sword so he wouldn't lose it, and managed to wriggle one finger into his pouch, brushing over the Twilight Gem. It hurt to transform, just like it hurt to move, but his keener senses, sturdier body, and lack of things to carry made up for it. He could still move on three legs, keeping his injured one tucked up to his chest, and his wolf body seemed to ignore the pain more easily.. It wasn't ideal, but at least he wasn't helpless. One of his ears wouldn't twist right, and he realized that was probably from the blow early on in the fight. To his disgust, he could still feel the weight of his crown on his head, and figured he probably looked ridiculous… until he remembered how intimidating a wolf was, even one wearing silly jewelry.

A snarling, blood-spattered wolf struck an instinctive fear in people. Especially when said wolf would fling itself onto your chest and strike with unnatural intelligence at the weak points in your armor until you collapsed. Link moved lightly through the battle, pouncing from one enemy to the next, tearing at armor and flesh alike.

At least he was until suddenly his legs buckled, sending him crashing to the ground instead of vaulting off the breastplate he was balanced on. Pushing himself upright again, he looked down, confused, and saw the armor was slick with blood. This wasn't entirely surprising, considering he'd just chewed out the man's throat, but there was more there than he expected. That was when he noticed his leg was bleeding again, whether from another injury or just re-opening the potion-sealed wound. He let out a very human groan of exasperation, and sank to his belly again, his vision starting to blur.

Half a battlefield away, Zelda wheeled Svartur around, his iron-shod hooves dispatching a soldier trying to stab her with a sword. She'd just raised her rapier when she felt a sudden drop in her stomach, and barely managed to parry the blow coming at her. "Link!" she screamed, kicking out at her foe and stabbing the slender blade through his visor, urging her mount desperately towards her hero.

Ganondorf, starting to feel a myriad of tiny wounds despite the fiercely burning Triforce on his hand, turned around. He saw Zelda much too far away to do any good, and although Link was too low and distant to see, he knew exactly where the hero had fallen. "Midna!" he bellowed, pointing. "Get him out of here!" Now angry at the fact that someone had dared injure the boy on top of invading his country, killing his soldiers, and murdering his civilians, he decided it was time to end this fiasco.

His shout carried across the battlefield, and Midna sprang into the air, using a drop of magic to hover. Between Ganondorf's arm and Zelda's reckless plunge through the battle, she lined up where Link must be, and dove down. He looked awful, crumpled in a bloody mess of fur and limbs on a fallen Labrynna soldier. Heedless of the gore, she knelt beside him and lifted him into her arms, fighting down panic at how shallow and fast his breathing was, and how he didn't even whimper when she moved him. Not even bothering to stand up, she wrenched open a portal to the Twilight and pulled them through. It wasn't until they were already moving that she realized Link's presence was pulling her spell, navigating the way he always had. She just hoped some part of his mind was still thinking clearly enough to have an actual destination in mind.

_Author's Note: I enjoyed beating Link up far too much. Apparently I've got quite the sadistic streak I didn't know about._


	24. Chapter 24

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief as Link's presence went abruptly distant and the sense of danger to him faded dramatically. Midna must have taken him somewhere safe, which meant that now she and Ganondorf could concentrate on finishing this bloodbath before she lost any more of her people. The Gerudo warriors now formed the bulk of their fighting force from what Zelda could see, far too many of her own Knights had been killed. Even the rock-like Gorons were taking casualties, and while they weren't being crushed so heavily anymore, they were still badly outnumbered.

Across the field, Ganondorf had come to the same conclusion; this battle had to end, now. His motivation had less to do with prevention and protection than it did with revenge and possessiveness, but that was hardly important. It took only a few moments of concentration, and then he was growing, his foes scrambling frantically backwards from him. One, a little slower on the uptake, screamed as Ganon caught him in the gut with a tusk and sent him flying thirty feet away.

Everyone's attention was drawn by the piercing, inhuman, squealing bellow, and abruptly the feel of the battlefield changed. The heavy press of the Labrynna army suddenly fractured as the massive demon boar in the middle of it started to stampede. The Bulbos had been good shock troops early on, sending them stampeding through the invading soldiers, but they were to Ganon like songbirds were to an eagle.

"Forward!" Zelda cried, a touch of magic amplifying her voice, and she drove Svartur towards Ganon, the stallion plunging through the crowd. She sliced through foe after foe, remnants of her forces joining behind her as they drove through the disoriented army, dividing the invasion force. Ganon was terrifying and powerful, but his bulk did make him an easy target. Still, he seemed heedless of damage or blood dripping from wounds, trampling and tossing anything that got close enough. Their own forces, Zelda was pleased to note, were all smart enough to get well out of the way.

With Zelda's contingent driving a wedge through the army and forcing many of them into the soft, trap-infested sand bordering one of the great chasms the desert was famous for, and Ganon demolishing the bulk of their remaining force, they finally were able to turn the tide. She drew magic into herself and projected her voice across the battlefield. "Get your Gods' forsaken selves off of my land before we destroy you all!" she screamed, her Triforce flaring blindingly bright. Much to her relief, Labrynna's forces started to withdraw, one or two on the outskirts at first, then more as the remaining officers started to repeat her order, whole squadrons going on the retreat.

By the end of the rout, Zelda estimated that less than a third of Labrynna's forces had survived. And that figure probably held true for their own people too. She had seven remaining Knights in her party. About half the Gerudo that had arrived during the fight had fallen, and so had eight of the Gorons. When her survivors started to make noises about giving chase, Zelda very nearly let them, seeing too many of her subjects dead among the invaders. "No," she said tiredly. "No more of our people will die today." She looked up, glad to see Naburia still standing, wiping her twin swords clean on a fallen enemy's tunic. "Naburia… we should send a couple of scouts, to make sure they keep going. Do you know who's best to send?"

The Gerudo nodded and turned, presumably to go find someone to do just that, swinging up on one of the few surviving Bulbos and heading off into the desert. "Let's make camp up on that hill," Zelda said. "You and you, go find our horses, they've got most of our supplies." That done, Zelda set Svartur picking his way across the battlefield to where Ganon was standing, head down and breathing heavily. She dismounted a few feet away and moved carefully towards him, hoping that most of the blood streaked through his fur and staining the sand under him wasn't his.

Hesitantly, she lifted a hand and touched his shoulder, and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to flinch away when the massive head turned towards her. "They're in full retreat, and Naburia's tracking them out. Come on, we're setting up camp, and you can't do that without hands." She returned his gaze, unnerved by the amount of pain and exhaustion she saw there.

Much to her relief, he looked in much better shape in human form. At least she thought so, until he took a step and his knees almost gave out from under him. "Svartur, come!" Zelda snapped, lifting one of Ganondorf's massive hands to the saddle as the horse obediently walked forward. "Come on, up you get," she coaxed, holding Svartur's head steady. It wasn't as if she could physically shove him up onto the horse, he'd have to mount himself. Finally, Triforce throbbing in a way that made her think of a straining heartbeat, he pulled himself into the saddle and sat up, a grimace of pain crossing his face briefly.

"I'm fine. Stop fussing." His voice was as deep and steady as ever, but Zelda had seen enough of him to pick up the lie in the tension of his mouth, the way his hands gripped so tightly to the saddle pommel.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, frowning at him, with her hands on her hips. "Svartur, don't you let him dismount until I'm there to help." She needed him alive and healthy to take care of the second army invading Hyrule, and that meant he needed to rest. "Go pick a place you want that tent of yours set up, I'll meet you there." Glad of her shorter skirts, Zelda picked her way across the battlefield. Being mounted the whole time meant she had at least a little more energy than most of the survivors, and she helped setting up tents and tending to the worst of the injuries. Most of the casualties had been death blows or wounds that were already closing with the red potion, so she had little to do in that respect.

By the time she'd gotten through the two Gerudo and one Goron who'd needed an extra nudge of healing magic, Ganondorf's tent was set up and he was easing carefully down off of Svartur. One of the Gerudo Zelda hadn't met yet came to lead the horse away for a brushing down and a good meal, and she was left alone with Ganondorf.

Whether it was pride or not wanting his underlings to see him in so much pain, Ganondorf did stride into the tent under his own power, but he stumbled and fell to his knees almost immediately once inside. He yanked the straps holding his chest armor open, and groaned with relief as the heavy, restrictive plate fell to the ground. The shirt underneath was soaked with blood and torn to rags. Worried far past caring who it was she was helping, Zelda started pulling at his other plates, astounded at how much damage she was uncovering.

"You were wearing full armor!" she protested, tearing the rest of the shirt free and guiding him to lay down, glad that his back at least seemed unharmed. "How did you _get_ these wounds?"

"Ganon has no armor," he said tiredly. "One of my few weaknesses in that form… although at least I'm large enough that a sword strike that would kill a human is a flesh wound to me."

"Well, you've got enough flesh wounds that it's a wonder you haven't bled to death yet," she said, stretching before she knelt and laid her hands on his chest. "Even with Din's help." None of the wounds were glowing the way the mortal wound in his chest did, but there were glimmers of magic in many of them, keeping the bleeding sluggish. Taking a deep breath, she reached out to heal him, thinking that a few days ago, she'd have let him bleed out.

It took longer than she'd expected. Even as a giant boar, some of the wounds had gone deep enough to cause serious damage inside, and she kept having to stop to make sure bone was knitting properly, or the liver stopped leaking toxins into his blood. By the time she'd finished with the fresh injuries, she was almost completely drained, pale and trembling. She didn't realize she'd laid her head down on his chest until she felt his hand on her hair, and was too tired to pull away or protest.

"Very impressive," he said in a low tone, his fingers running over her cheek. She had the oddest expression on her face, as if she thought she should be offended, but couldn't recall why. Her magic had been… incredibly soft, soothing, a foreign thing to a man raised in the harsh desert and blessed with Din's burning touch. He shifted out from under her, realizing he didn't even ache from tiredness anymore. His touch more gentle than he'd ever used on her, he picked her up and set her down on his bedroll before standing up. "Your turn to rest. See if you can contact Link or Midna when you feel up to it. I'll plan the march on Ordon." Still bare-chested, he turned and headed out, leaving Zelda to rest and try to catch up on her drained resources.

oOo

_Link…_

He was so tired… why couldn't people just let him rest?

_Link?_

He thought vaguely that he should be in a lot of pain right now… but everything was just fuzzy and soft, and he felt as if he was floating.

_Link, where are you? Are you alright?_

The voice was more distinct this time, and Link realized it was Zelda. But that didn't make sense, Zelda was in the Lanayru desert, and he was… where was he? Midna had taken him somewhere, he'd felt the shift through Twilight, but… all he could feel now was this soft whiteness he was floating in. Wait, he really _was_ floating. And then, abruptly, he knew where he was; the one place in Hyrule he'd been yearning to get to. _I'm in Ordon's hot spring, _he thought, both to Zelda and himself.

With the thought, he seemed to rise up, the soft warmth around him started feeling wet, the whiteness a little less omnipresent. He realized he was almost completely submerged in the spring, he could feel water lapping against his cheeks, and the back of his head was resting on something soft, keeping his face up so he could breathe. There was a soft touch on his forehead, and a tickle he hadn't even noticed until that moment was brushed away. It took an immense amount of energy to open his eyes, and everything was blurry when he did.

He had an impression of dark leaves overhead and the faint illumination of the spring, and then there was a shape above him. After a moment, it resolved into a face, orange hair, luminous blue skin, wide, worried eyes. "Link! Finally, I was starting to worry you wouldn't wake up."

"I… Midna?" he whispered, trying to sit up. Her hand on his chest wasn't even needed, Link couldn't summon the energy to lift an arm, let alone the rest of his body.

"Yes, it's me," she said, her fingers caressing over his forehead again, smoothing his wet hair down. "We warped through Twilight hours ago… if you hadn't landed us right in a healing spring, Link… I've been so worried. You were in… very bad shape. I think… I thought you were dead when we came out of Twilight."

"Guess that explains why I can barely move even though I'm in a healing spring," Link replied, feeling a bit better as they talked. His right arm finally started obeying him, although he couldn't seem to do more than flop it over his chest. The fabric of his sleeve was reassuringly whole and green again, making Link glad for whatever twist of magic reset his clothing after changing to a wolf. "Where's my shield?"

"On the bank," Midna said, glancing over. "So are your bow and sword. I know better than to leave them submerged this long. And don't get up yet," she said, pushing him back down when he tried. "You are not done healing."

"How long have I been in here?" Link asked. "Have you seen anyone else?"

"Well, it's not full dark here, but it's been several hours. Colin, the shy little one, has been in and out. He said he was looking for food. But for now, it's just you and me."

Link smiled as Midna's hand ran over his chest, enjoying the caress and the soft, welcoming pillow of her lap. It was kind of a pity he was too tired to take advantage of it… although at least this way, he didn't have to feel so guilty about it either. "So… you didn't know about the army invading Ordon?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. No, I had no idea. Perhaps I was naïve to think I could control them, but… I swear this was never my intention."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, letting his eyes drift closed as he rested, enjoying the feeling of her fingers combing through her hair. "Hey… how does Ordon feel about you sitting in his spring, anyway?"

"Since I was rescuing you when I arrived… he's tolerating my presence," Midna said. "He was very clear that I wasn't to use the Fused Shadows while I was in the spring, and preferably all of Ordon. To be honest, I don't think I could use them in here if I tried."

"I think he'll be accommodating as long as you're using them to repel the intruders," Link pointed out. "Although you'll have to give them up, if you're all going to live in Hyrule."

She coughed his hand, fingers squeezing his softly. "You really think Zelda will let us?"

Link smiled, looking up at her. "I've got just as much say in it as she does. And yes, I think she would anyways. It's the Fused Shadows the Goddesses have a problem with, not you in particular."

"We would be willing to do almost anything for a safe home," she said, her fingers tightening on his.

"Which has been part of the problem," Link said dryly.

Midna let out a small laugh, flicking his ear lightly. "So I'm sure convincing my people to give up the Shadows won't be a problem." She stopped, looking up. This time, Link sat up before she could push him back down, and he saw Colin crawling through the secret passage into the spring.

"Link! You're awake!" Colin said excitedly, setting down a small bundle and splashing into the spring to hug him. Link wrapped his right arm around the boy, his left still refusing to move properly. "I'm so glad to see you… it's been awful here. No, you stay here, I'll bring the food over." Colin waded back to the bank, and Link finally looked down at his arm.

The white undertunic had been rolled up, and he could see his arm looked unnaturally thin, although at least his hand was on the right way now. He could wiggle the fingertips, almost make a fist, although he literally didn't have the muscle to lift his arm yet. He could feel the soft tingle of the spring's healing magic working away at it, though, so he stayed sitting in the water, taking the hard travel bread from Colin. "Tell me what's been going on."

"Well… the army invaded two nights ago. They showed up when it was dark… they said that they didn't want to hurt anyone if we just did what we told them… but then one of them tried to take Epona. Ilia got mad at him, and then he took her too... she was screaming for him to let go of her, but he dragged her into a house… My dad wasn't there, and my mom wouldn't let me go help her. She just kept screaming in there, but then Shalla got back from the pasture and she went crazy. I don't know how many soldiers she killed, we all split up into the forest then, but I think she's dead because nobody's seen her or Ilia since."

Link reached out with his good arm and pulled Colin against him. The boy snuggled against his ribs and kept talking, his voice quiet. "Lots of us are still alive… we're hiding in the trees mostly, but they keep finding us and killing us. Almost none of us have any weapons so we can't fight back… we've been hoping you'd come, Link…"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, hugging Colin tight. "But we'll stop them. As soon as I can lift my sword again, I'll go out and see what's going on."

He had no sooner spoken than there was a crashing sound through the trees, the foliage trembling. "Get behind me," Link said, scrambling for the edge of the spring and his weapons. The bow was right out, of course, and some almost forgotten piece of advice echoed in his head about choosing a shield over a sword if he could only get one, and scooped up the ever-reliable Hylian shield. Just as he turned to face the source of the noise, several soldiers in gold-detailed Holodrum livery broke through the trees. Link shouted and charged, hoping he was going fast enough they wouldn't notice he didn't have a sword behind the shield.

They did focus on him, leaving Colin and Midna alone. Normally, she'd be the most formidable one in the group, but with Ordon's magic restriction, she was nearly helpless. Link swung the shield almost flat, catching the first soldier just under the chin with a sickening crack. He barely yanked it back down in time to deflect a sword strike from a second soldier, then knocked the man back.

Still, there were four soldiers, and he only had one working arm. And in this pool of light, he couldn't transform into a wolf either. Link was trying to decide what would be the best way to give his friends a chance to flee when there was a high, child's shout from behind him. Colin flew past him, the gleam of the Master Sword bright in his hands. Before he could even react, the boy had stabbed right through the closest soldier and was ducking easily under the attack of the next.

Recovering, Link slammed one of the remaining solders with his shield, then jerked it up to snap his head backwards, dropping him in a heap. He turned to find Colin neatly deflecting the final solider's attack with an ease Link knew he hadn't had last time they'd met, and spun expertly, slicing the man almost in half. He looked around, then up at Link, panting a little. "Wow… nice sword, Link."

Ordon's power was already melting the bodies into the earth as if they'd never been there, the trees re-weaving themselves. Link looked down at Colin, the Master Sword glowing in his hand with a light that wasn't just reflected from the spring. Although it pained him to say it, Link said, "Yeah… it is. You know what? I think it's yours now."

Colin's first response was clearly to protest, but he paused with an open mouth, looking down at the sword. Maybe it had actually said something to him, maybe it was just a gentle nudge or warmth. Either way, he reconsidered, and said. "Thanks. I'll take good care of it."

"Hopefully she'll take as good care of you," Link said, feeling the Triforce on his hand warm reassuringly. At least that was still his. Giving up the sword was wrenchingly painful, and extremely unnerving; he had an army to drive out, and he had no idea how he'd do it without a weapon of his own.

"Midna? Think you can communicate with Zelda? We've got some planning to do."

_Author's Note: I know Ganondorf's not invulnerable, even if he won't admit it. I just didn't want to ruin the cliffhanger by continuing the last chapter. Jennyanny, you've picked up exactly on what I hoped people would see. Thank you to all of my followers and readers!_


	25. Chapter 25

Zelda didn't rest more than a few hours, waking up excited enough about learning Link's location that she could ignore a lot of her tiredness. Even the short nap had done wonders for rejuvenating her powers, and seeing a bullbo roasting over the fire was even better. They smelled much better cleaned and cooked than they did alive, and everyone's spirits were improved by the food and the victory.

A Gerudo warrior tending the fire handed her a slab of succulent, juicy meat on a piece of hard travel bread, and Zelda thanked her, far too hungry to care about manners or dignity. She tore into the food just as eagerly as anyone else, chatting briefly with soldiers as she walked about the camp. There was some sorrow, of course, all of them had lost friends today, but there was pride also for having protected their country and driven back a much larger force.

Satisfied that morale was as good as she could expect, Zelda wandered over to where the horses and few surviving bullbos were picketed. Svartur's big head rose into view as she approached and he whickered at her peacefully. Ganondorf appeared from behind him, looking substantially better than he had the last time she'd seen him. He'd also found a loose, off-white shirt somewhere. "Ah, Zelda, you're awake. And fed, I see. Feeling back to normal?"

"Getting there," she said. Her reserves were still somewhat depleted, but they were replenishing even now. And while Ganondorf might be physically healed, she suspected his magics were in the same position as hers. "I think Link is in Ordon, in the healing spring there."

"Damned boy," Ganondorf growled. "What does he think he's doing, flinging himself off to enemy territory while he's half dead?"

"He's got a lot of courage and a lot of compassion," Zelda said wearily. "But not a large amount of foresight to go with it, I think. Still, he's alive and safe for now." She was sure she'd know if he was in pain or serious danger again.

Ganondorf tugged on Svartur's mane affectionately and the horse nudged him back, probably hard enough that Zelda would have fallen over, but the towering Gerudo just swayed slightly. "I suppose having him behind enemy lines could actually be useful… provided we can contact him. Can you link some kind of spell with Midna?"

"Possibly," she mused. It would certainly be a more efficient way of talking than visiting Link's subconscious. "It should help with them being in the Ordon spring. Water like that will enhance a spell rather than interfere with it. I'll go find something to use as a scrying basin."

In the end, she cleaned and used a discarded chestplate, since the few pots they had with them were in use for mixing new batches of red potion. Propped up with rocks, it made a serviceable, if oddly shaped, pool of water. She knew the Ordon Spirit well enough to reach out to make contact, and found the spring reflected in her bowl. It rippled as another spell brushed against hers, then they melded and Midna's exotic face swam into view. "Zelda! I'm glad to see you're alright," she said, her voice flat and distant through the spell.

"Me too," Zelda said, smiling as she saw Link push his way into view beside her. A tight knot in her chest she hadn't even been aware of eased at seeing him awake and healthy. "We were able to repel Labrynna's army, although we did take heavy casualties doing so. How is Ordon?"

"It could be worse," Link said, frowning, clearly thinking it could be a lot better. "We're told a lot of the villagers escaped into the forests… but we can't go searching for them without getting noticed, at least not in daylight."

"So now we must make use of having the two of you directly in the heart of their foothold in Hyrule," Ganondorf said from behind Zelda. "We can be on the Hyrule Fields tomorrow if necessary."

"We shouldn't rush this," Zelda said, shaking her head. "I want them gone too, but at the least cost to our own people. That means we take the time to plan and ensure there are no mistakes."

"Don't plan too long," Link protested. "The Goron line won't last forever."

"Agreed," was Ganondorf's reply. "Two days, then, to assemble our forces. We'll be on the eastern edge of the Fields, how many do you think you can gather?"

"The three of us sitting in the spring right now?" Midna guessed. "These are farm folk, not great mages or battle-hardened warriors."

"But we do have some fighters and hunters," Link put in. He suspected his people would be eager to defend their homes, even if they didn't have the training for it. "We'll try to gather what we can, but I can't promise anything yet."

Zelda nodded, already planning. "Midna, how are your powers?"

Midna looked pensive, and a little uneasy. "I guess that depends on a few things, Princess. Link believes Ordona will be lenient about my use of the Fused Shadows as long as I'm fighting Holodrum's army… but I'm not so sure." Link had a good heart, a forgiving one. He saw Ordona as a benevolent guardian… but Midna could feel the steely dislike under the soft light and knew how much the spirit hated even the merest touch of blood magic.

"So, you need another source of magic," Ganondorf said, rubbing his beard as he thought. He admired Link's pluck and determination, but knew the boy would need more than that to break through an army, even from the inside. He'd need Midna's strength at his side, until he got back to him and Zelda, at least.

"No Twili has ever been touched by a Goddess," Midna said, shaking her head. "That's kind of why we created the Shadows in the first place."

"Can either of you ask your Goddesses to make an exception?" Link asked hopefully.

Ganondorf gave a snort of dismissive laughter at the same time Zelda shook her head. "No more than you could speak directly to Farore, Link. We're their chosen… but they are… it doesn't work that way." All of the gods were a very different kind of being than the mortal Hylians… Zelda felt there was compassion in the way they watched over Hyrule, but distantly, the way she might take care of a school of fish in the castle moat.

"But I've talked to the spirits," Link protested. "Eldin and Faron and Lanayru…"

"Who aren't the Goddesses themselves," Ganondorf cut him off. "Named for them, but they are not them."

"Maybe that's actually a good thing," Zelda said slowly. "If you dismantle the Fused Shadows, and give the remaining energy to Ordona…"

Midna looked uncomfortable at the thought. She'd known in her mind that living in Hyrule meant giving up the Fused Shadows, but it was hard to seriously contemplate doing it. Still, if it needed doing… "I'll offer… but there's no surety that they can even be fully dismantled, they could only be broken before..."

"They can by Twilight Magic," Ganondorf said, frowning at her. "And you well know it. That's the price, Twili."

She didn't look happy, but when neither Zelda nor Link tried to temper the deal, she nodded. "Alright. I'll try, but it'll be up to Ordona in the end." Even if Ordona would listen to her, there was no guarantee the spirit would want the job of purifying the magic… or would be willing to grant her magic from this world afterwards.

"You're going to have to give it up one way or another," Zelda said, not unkindly. "At least this way, you might get something in return. Good luck, and contact us again when you know more, alright?"

Link nodded, and Midna reached forwards, swirling the water in the spring and breaking the spell. Link peered at her, touching her shoulder. "You don't look happy."

"I'm about to destroy my people's way of life… in many ways, our identity," Midna said, shrugging. "I know it's the right move, but that doesn't make it easy. This is going to take some time, I have to make sure all of my people are in Hyrule, and in useful locations, before I break the Shadows."

"I'll come with you, if that would help," Link offered.

Midna just looked at him, a hint of her old mocking humor visible in her expression. "You can help by staying here, safe, and healing up. Besides, you're too small for me to ride now."

He tried for lighthearted. "Is that a comment about my height as a wolf, or should I be offended?"

She actually laughed, and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Well, maybe not _all_ of you is too small. We'll have to experiment when all this is over. Now stay here and be good. I'll be back when everyone's prepared."

Midna dissolved into Twilight, and Link jumped when Colin spoke up; he'd honestly forgotten the boy was there. "I thought you were gonna marry Princess Zelda," he said, sounding faintly accusatory.

"It's, um… complicated." _That's an understatement and a half._ "Midna's an old friend of mine, I'm not going to…"

"Link, I'm not _four_," Colin said, rolling his eyes. "I can tell she likes you… even if I don't know exactly what you two were talking about."

That was just great. "Ah, Colin… this isn't the right time to be worrying about that kind of thing anyway. I'll figure it out after we all get out of this alive. Now, why don't you show me how much you remember about swordplay?"

Happy to change the subject to something else, Colin drew his sword to demonstrate. It seemed a little shorter now than Link remembered, maybe a tiny bit lighter, more fitting to the child's hand. Either way, Colin used it like an extension of his own body, in a way the boy had never been able to manage before. If he'd had any doubts that he was supposed to give the Master Sword to Colin, they were gone after a few minutes of demonstrations. The sword was definitely enhancing his abilities, taking away that nervous hesitation that had always held him back before and giving him the confidence of someone who had used a sword for years. A small part of him was pleased that the Master Sword would stay active in Hyrule… just in case.

_Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone for your support. I'm sorry the chapter is so short, but it just... wouldn't write anymore. Let's see what the next chapter does, hmm?_


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